THE  GIFT  OF 

FLORENCE  V.  V.  DICKEY 

TO  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DONALD  R.  DICKEY 

LIBRARY 
OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


By  FRANK   M.  CHAPMAN. 

ate  Curator  of  Mammalogy  and  Ornithology 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA.     With  Introductory  Chapters 
on  the  Outfit  and  Methods  of  the  Bird  Photographer. 

Illustrated  with  over  100  Photographs  from  Nature  by  the 
Author.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.75. 

This  practical  but  fascinating  book  is  a  record  of  surprising  achieve- 
ments with  the  camera. 

HANDBOOK  OF   BIRDS  OF  EASTERN   NORTH   AMERICA. 

With  Keys  to  the  Species,  Descriptions  of  their  Plumages, 

Nests,  etc.,  and  their  Distribution  and  Migrations.     With 

over  200  Illustrations,     ismo. 

LIBRARY  EDITION,  $3.0x3. 

POCKET  EDITION,  flexible  covers,  £3.50. 

The  book  treats  of  all  the  birds,  some  five  hundred  and  forty  in  num- 
ber, which  have  been  found  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  from 
the  Arctic  Ocean  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  is  thus  of  use  in  any  part 
of  this  region. 

BIRD-LIFE.    A  Guide  to  the  Study  of  our  Common  Birds. 

EDITION  DE  LUXE,  with  75  full-page  lithographic  plates, 
representing  100  birds  in  their  natural  colors,  after  draw- 
ings by  Ernest  Thompson-Seton.     8vo.     Cloth,  $5.00. 
POPULAR  EDITION  in  colors,  $2.00  net ;  postage,  18  cents 
additional. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,    NEW  YORK. 


1.  Gannet  (flying  over),  Murres,  Puffins,  and  Kazorbilled  Auks. 


BIRD  STUDIES 
WITH  A  CAMERA 

WITH  INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTERS 
ON  THE  OUTFIT  AND  METHODS 
OF  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER 

BY   FRANK    M.   CHAPMAN 

ASSISTANT  CURATOR  OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 
IN  THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HIS- 
TORY, AND  AUTHOR  OF  HANDBOOK  OF  BIRDS 
OF  EASTERN  NORTH  AMERICA,  BIRD-LIFE,  ETC. 


WITH  OVER   ONE  HUNDRED  PHOTOGRAPHS 
FROM  NATURE,  BY  THE  AUTHOR 


NEW     YORK 

D.     APPLETON     AND     COMPANY 
1903 


COPYRIGHT,  1900, 
BY   FRANK   M.   CHAPMAN. 


All  rights  reserved. 


THIS  BOOK 
IS     DEDICATED     TO 

MY      WIFE, 

WHO,   BOTH   AT  HOME   AND   AFIELD,   IS  EVER 
"MY   BEST  ASSISTANT." 


501460 


You  have  learnt  from  the  Birds  and  continue  to  learn, 
Your  best  benefactors  and  early  instructors. 

FRERE'S  Aristophanes. 


PKEFACE 


THE  practice  of  photographing  birds  in  Nature 
is  of  too  recent  origin  in  this  country  to  permit  of 
its  being  treated  authoritatively.  The  methods 
which  may  be  employed  are  so  numerous,  the  field 
to  be  covered  so  limitless,  that  many  years  must 
elapse  before  the  bird  photographer's  outfit  will 
meet  his  wants,  while  the  constantly  varying  details 
which  surround  his  subjects  almost  prohibit  dupli- 
cation of  experience. 

But  it  is  these  very  difficulties  which  render  all 
the  more  imperative  the  necessity  of  conference 
among  workers  in  this  fascinating  and  important 
branch  of  natural  history.  The  causes  of  both 
success  and  failure  should,  through  the  medium  of 
books  and  journals,  be  made  accessible  to  all,  there- 
by shortening  this  experimental  stage  of  the  study 
of  birds  with  a  camera,  and  hastening  the  day  when 
the  nature  of  the  outfit  and  methods  shall  have  been 
settled  with  more  or  less  definiteness. 

It  is  as  a  contribution  toward  this  end,  and  as  a 
means  of  answering  the  queries  of  numerous  corre- 
spondents, that  the  following  pages,  embodying  the 
results  of  my  own  experiences,  are  offered.  It  is 
sincerely  hoped  that  they  may  increase  the  interest 

vii 


Vlil  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

in  the  study  of  birds  in  Nature,  and  at  the  same 
time  furnish  a  more  profitable  and  delightful  out- 
let for  the  hunting  instinct  than  is  afforded  by  the 
shotgun  or  rifle. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  Bird  Rock  pictures  and 
several  of  those  from  Pelican  Island  have  appeared 
in  the  Century  and  St.  Nicholas  respectively,  and 
are  here  reproduced  by  the  courtesy  of  the  editors 
of  those  magazines ;  others  have  been  previously 
published  in  Bird-Lore. 

FRANK  M.  CHAPMAN. 

AMERICAN  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY, 
NEW  YORK  CITY,  March,  1900. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 1 

What  is  bird  photography  1 — The  scientific  value  of  bird 
photography — The  charm  of  bird  photography. 

THE  OUTFIT  AND  METHODS   OF  THE  BIRD 
PHOTOGRAPHER 

THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT 6 

The  camera— The  lens— The  shutter— The  tripod— Plates 
— Blinds — Sundries. 

THE   METHODS   OF   THE   BIRD    PHOTOGRAPHER          ....         26 

Haunts — Seasons — Nests  and  eggs — Young  birds — Adult 
birds. 

BIRD  STUDIES    WITH  A   CAMERA 

BlRD  PHOTOGRAPHY  BEGINS  AT  HOME 40 

THE  CHICKADEE— A  STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND  WHITE     ...  47 

THE  LEAST  BITTERN  AND  SOME  OTHER  REED  INHABITANTS      .  62 

Two  HERONS 76 

WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST 89 

TWO   DAYS   WITH   THE   TERNS 106 

PERCE  AND  BONAVENTURE 128 

THE  MAGDALENS 146 

BIRD  ROCK 152 

LIFE  ON  PELICAN   ISLAND,  WITH  SOME  SPECULATIONS   ON  THE 

ORIGIN   OF   BIRD   MIGRATION 191 

ix 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTKATIONS 


PAGE 

1.  Gannet,  Murres,  Puffins,  and  Razorbilled  Auks 

Frontispiece 

Tailpiece.  Young  Baltimore  Oriole 5 

Initial.  Long-focus  camera  and  telephoto  lens ...  6 

2.  Lens  test  No.  1 14 

3.  Enlargement  of  the  bird  in  test  No.  1        ....  15 

4.  Lens  test  No.  2 16 

5.  Enlargement  of  bird  in  test  No.  2 17 

6.  Lens  test  No.  3 18 

7.  Enlargement  of  bird  in  test  No.  3 19 

Initial.  Young  Great-crested  Flycatcher  ....  26 

8.  Spring 27 

9.  Summer 27 

10.  Autumn 28 

11.  Winter — four  pictures  (Nos.  8-11)  from  the  same  point 

of  view 28 

12.  Nest  locality  of  five  species 29 

13.  Nesting  site,  nest,  and  young  of  Marsh  Hawk   ...  30 

14.  Young  Marsh  Hawks  and  nest 31 

15.  Young  Great-crested  Flycatcher 32 

16.  Young  Baltimore  Orioles  and  nest 33 

17.  Wood  Thrush  on  nest 34 

18.  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  on  nest 35 

19.  Catbird  scolding 37 

Initial.  "  Fairview  " 40 

20.  House  Sparrows  and  Junco 41 

21.  Junco    .                . 42 

22.  Female  House  Sparrow  and  nest 43 


xn  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

PAGE 

23.  Screech  Owl 44 

Initial.  Chickadee 47 

24.  Chickadee  on  ground 49 

25.  Chickadee  taking  piece  of  bread 50 

26.  A  bird  in  the  hand 51 

27.  Chickadee  at  nest  hole 54 

28.  Chickadee  at  nest  hole 55 

29.  A  Chickadee  family 58 

30.  A  Chickadee  family 59 

Initial.  Red-winged  Blackbird 62 

31.  Least  Bittern's  nesting  site 64 

32.  Least  Bittern's  nest  and  eggs 66 

33.  Least  Bittern  mimicking  surroundings      ....  67 

34.  Least  Bittern  mimicking  surroundings      ....  68 

35.  Young  Red-winged  Blackbirds 71 

36.  Least  Bittern  eating  her  eggs 73 

37.  Least  Bittern  on  nest  .               74 

Initial.  Where  the  Night  Herons  feed       ....  76 

38.  Five  Night  Herons'  nests  in  swamp  maple        ...  79 

39.  A  view  in  the  Heron  rookery 80 

40.  Night  Heron  feeding 81 

41.  Young  Night  Herons  in  nest 82 

42.  Young  Night  Herons  leaving  nest 83 

43.  Young  Night  Herons  on  branches 84 

44.  Great  Blue  Heron,  nests  and  young 88 

Initial.  Tree  Swallows  on  wires 89 

45.  Hackensack  marshes  in  August 91 

46.  Marsh  mallows 93 

47.  Wild  rice 94 

48.  Tree  Swallows  on  wires 97 

49.  Tree  Swallows  in  tree 100 

50.  Tree  Swallows  on  wire  and  at  pile 102 

51.  Swallows  in  the  road 104 

Initial.  A  corner  of  Penikese 106 

52.  Nesting  site,  nest,  and  three  eggs  of  Common  Tern  .        .110 

53.  Tern  hovering  above  nest Ill 

54.  Nest  and  eggs  of  Tern  on  upland 112 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  Xlil 


PAOR 


55.  Tern's  nest  and  eggs  in  drift  debris 113 

56.  Young  Tern  hiding  on  rocky  beach 114 

57.  Young  Tern  hiding  in  the  grass 115 

58.  Tern  alighting  on  nest 116 

59.  Tern  on  hillside  nest 117 

60.  Tern's  nest  and  hatching  eggs  in  seaweed         .        .        .118 

61.  Tern  about  to  feed  young 119 

62.  Tern  brooding  young 12° 

63.  Tern  on  beach  nest 121 

64.  Tern  on  beach  nest 121 

65.  Tern  on  upland  nest    .                122 

66.  Young  Terns  about  four  days  old 123 

67.  Young  Tern  about  a  week  old 124 

68.  Young  Tern,  second  plumage  appearing    .        .        .        .124 

69.  Young  Tern,  further  advance  of  second  plumage      .        .  125 

70.  Young  Tern,  stage  before  flight 126 

Initial.  A  Perce  codfisher 128 

71.  Perce  Rock  from  the  north 131 

72.  Perce  Rock  from  the  southeast  ......  134 

73.  Splitting  cod  on  Perce  beach 136 

74.  Young  Savanna  Sparrow 137 

75.  Gannet  cliffs  of  Bonaventure 140 

76.  Cornel  or  bunchberry 142 

77.  A  ledge  of  nesting  Gannets 144 

Initial.  Grosse  Isle 146 

78.  Nest  and  eggs  of  Fox  Sparrow 148 

79.  Young  Guillemots 150 

Initial.  The  Bird  Rock  light 152 

80.  Bird  Rock  from  the  southwest 153 

81.  North  side  of  Bird  Rock 156 

82.  A  corner  of  the  Rock 160 

83.  The  landing  at  the  base  of  the  Rock 164 

84.  The  landing  on  top  of  the  Rock 165 

85.  Kitti  wakes  and  young  on  nests  .               ....  168 

86.  The  lighthouse,  keeper's  dwelling,  and  other  buildings     .  169 

87.  Razorbilled  Auks  and  "  Ringed  "  Murre    .        .        .        .170 

88.  Puffins                                                                                    .  172 


xiv  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

PAGE 

89.  Murre's  egg 174 

90.  Young  Murres  and  egg 175 

91.  Kittiwakes  and  young  on  nests 176 

92.  Entrance  to  Puffin's  burrow 177 

93.  Puffin's  nest  and  egg 178 

94.  Young  Puffin  on  nest 179 

95.  Leach's  Petrel  on  nest 180 

96.  Young  Leach's  Petrel  with  nesting  material     .        .        .181 

97.  Young  Gannet 182 

98.  Gannets 183 

99.  Gannets  on  nests 186 

100.  Gannet  on  nest 188 

Initial.  Young  Pelicans  in  nest  tree 191 

101.  Pelicans  on  ground  nests 197 

102.  Interviewing  a  group  of  young  Pelicans    ....  198 

103.  Among  the  Pelicans 199 

104.  Head  and  pouch  of  Pelican 200 

105.  Pelican's  pouch  from  above 201 

106.  Newly  hatched  Pelicans  and  nests 206 

107.  Young  Pelican  in  tree  nest 208 

108.  Young  Pelican,  downy  stage 209 

109.  Young  Pelican,  wing  quills  appearing       ....  211 

110.  Young  Pelicans,  stage  preceding  flight      ....  212 


BIRD   STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 

WITH   INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTERS   ON   THE   OUTFIT 
AND   METHODS   OF   THE   BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER 


INTRODUCTION 

What  is  Bird  Photography? — Bird  photography, 
as  I  would  encourage  its  practice,  does  not  mean 
simply  photographing  birds ;  it  means  the  use  of 
the  camera  as  an  aid  in  depicting  the  life  histories 
of  birds.  A  picture  of  the  bird  itself  is,  of  course,  of 
the  first  importance,  but  any  fact  in  its  biography 
which  the  camera  can  be  employed  to  portray  is 
within  the  province  of  bird  photography. 

The  Scientific  Value  of  Bird  Photography, — There 
are  certain  matters,  such  as  a  bird's  song,  its  time  of 
migration,  etc.,  which  must  be  set  forth  with  the 
pen;  there  are  others,  such  as  its  haunts,  nesting 
site,  nest,  eggs,  the  appearance  and  development  of 
its  young,  where  the  camera  is  so  far  ahead  of  the 
pen  in  its  power  of  graphic  representation  that  it 
is  a  waste  of  time  to  use  the  former  when  circum- 
stances permit  the  utilization  of  the  latter. 

A  photograph  of  a  marsh  or  wood  showing  the 
favorite  haunts  of  a  species  is  worth  more  than 
pages  of  description.  A  picture  of  a  bird's  nest- 
ing site  conveys  a  better  idea  of  the  situation  than 
words  can  possibly  give,  while  in  place  of  such 
vague  phrases  as  "nest  of  coarse  grasses,  weed 
3  1 


2  ,      BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 

stalks,  rootlets,  etc.,  lined  with  finer  materials,"  we 
have  a  faithful  delineation  of  the  nest  itself.  The 
shape  and  pattern  of  markings  of  the  eggs  may  also 
be  well  shown  with  the  camera,  while  the  appear- 
ance of  the  young  at  birth,  their  development,  and 
often  the  manner  in  which  they  are  fed,  may  all  be 
portrayed  by  the  camera  with  a  realism  which  con- 
vinces one  of  the  truthfulness  of  the  result. 

By  the  exercise  of  much  patience  and  ingenuity 
we  may  also  photograph  the  adult  bird,  showing  it 
at  rest  or  in  motion,  brooding  its  eggs  or  caring  for 
its  young.  Under  favorable  conditions  such  pic- 
tures may  possess  an  exactness  of  detail  which 
makes  them  perfect  representations  of  the  original, 
giving  not  alone  position  and  expression,  but  the 
arrangement  of  the  feathers,  and  they  then  have 
scientific  value  unequaled  by  the  best  productions 
of  the  artist's  brush  or  pencil. 

From  the  nature  of  the  case,  perfection  in  this 
branch  of  bird  photography  is  not  always  attained ; 
nevertheless,  even  pictures  which  are  failures  from 
a  photographic  standpoint  may  be  of  interest  to 
the  naturalist.  They  may  be  lacking  in  detail  and 
still  give  pose,  thus  furnishing  models  from  which 
drawings  containing  all  structural  essentials  may 
be  made. 

The  camera  may  also  supply  us  with  graphic 
records  of  the  few  large  colonies  of  birds  yet  exist- 
ing in  this  country,  thereby  preserving  for  all  time 
definite  impressions  of  conditions  which  are  rapidly 
becoming  things  of  the  past. 

What  an  invaluable  addition  to  the  history  of 
the  Great  Auk  would  be  a  series  of  photographs 


INTRODUCTION  3 

from  Funk  Island,  taken  during  the  period  of  its 
existence  there ! 

Of  what  surpassing  interest  would  be  photo- 
graphs of  the  former  nights  of  Wild  Pigeons,  which 
the  younger  generations  of  to-day  can  with  diffi- 
culty believe  occurred ! 

The  Charm  of  Bird  Photography,— As  a  one- 
time sportsman,  who  yielded  to  none  in  his  enjoy- 
ment of  the  chase,  I  can  affirm  that  there  is  a  fasci- 
nation about  the  hunting  of  wild  animals  with  a 
camera  as  far  ahead  of  the  pleasure  to  be  derived 
from  their  pursuit  with  shotgun  or  rifle  as  the  sport 
found  in  shooting  Quail  is  beyond  that  of  breaking 
clay  "  Pigeons."  Continuing  the  comparison,  from  a 
sportsman's  standpoint,  hunting  with  a  camera  is 
the  highest  development  of  man's  inherent  love  of 
the  chase. 

The  killing  of  a  bird  with  a  gun  seems  little 
short  of  murder  after  one  has  attempted  to  cap- 
ture its  image  with  a  lens.  The  demands  on  the 
skill  and  patience  of  the  bird  photographer  are  end- 
less, and  his  pleasure  is  intensified  in  proportion 
to  the  nature  of  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome,  and 
in  the  event  of  success  it  is  perpetuated  by  the  infi- 
nitely more  satisfactory  results  obtained.  He  does 
not  rejoice  over  a  bag  of  mutilated  flesh  and  feath- 
ers, but  in  the  possession  of  a  trophy — an  eloquent 
token  of  his  prowess  as  a  hunter,  a  talisman  which 
holds  the  power  of  revivifying  the  circumstances 
attending  its  acquisition. 

What  mental  vision  of  falling  birds  can  be  as 
potent  as  the  actual  picture  of  living  birds  in  their 
homes  ?  And  how  immeasurably  one's  memories  are 


4  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

brightened  by  the  fact  that  this  is  not  a  picture  of 
what  has  been  but  of  what  is ! 

The  camera  thus  opens  the  door  to  a  field  of  sport 
previously  closed  to  those  who  love  birds  too  much 
to  find  pleasure  in  killing  them;  to  whom  Bob- 
White's  ringing  whistle  does  not  give  rise  to  mur- 
derous speculations  as  to  the  number  in  his  family, 
but  to  an  echo  of  the  season's  joy  which  his  note 
voices.  They  therefore  have  a  new  incentive  to  take 
them  out  of  doors ;  for  however  much  we  love  Na- 
ture for  Nature's  sake,  there  are  few  of  us  whose 
pleasure  in  an  outing  is  not  intensified  by  securing 
some  definite,  lasting  result. 

We  are  not  all  poets  and  seers,  finding  sufficient 
reward  for  a  hard  day's  tramp  in  a  sunset  glow  or 
the  song  of  a  bird.  Enjoy  these  things  as  we  may, 
who  would  not  like  to  perpetuate  the  one  or  the 
other  in  some  tangible  form  ? 

And  here  we  have  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  col- 
lecting of  birds  and  eggs  long  after  the  collector's 
needs  are  satisfied.  He  goes  on  duplicating  and 
reduplicating  merely  to  appease  the  almost  univer- 
sal desire  to  possess  any  admired  although  useless 
object.  Once  let  him  appreciate,  however,  the  pleas- 
ure of  hunting  with  a  camera,  the  greater  skill  re- 
quired, and  the  infinitely  greater  value  of  the  results 
to  be  obtained,  and  he  will  have  no  further  use  for 
gun,  climbing  irons,  and  egg  drill. 

Furthermore,  the  camera  hunter  possesses  the  ad- 
vantage over  the  so-called  true  sportsman,  in  that  all 
is  game  that  falls  to  his  gun  ;  there  is  not  a  bird  too 
small  or  too  tame  to  be  unworthy  of  his  attention ; 
nor  are  there  seasonal  restrictions  to  be  observed, 


INTRODUCTION  5 

nor  temptations  to  break  game  laws,  but  every  day 
in  the  year  he  is  free  to  go  afield,  and  at  all  times 
he  may  find  something  to  claim  his  attention. 

Finally,  there  is  to  be  added  to  the  special  charm 
of  bird  photography  the  general  charm  attending 
the  use  of  the  camera.  Thousands  of  people  are 
finding  pleasure  in  the  comparatively  prosaic  em- 
ployment of  photographing  houses,  bridges,  and 
other  patiently  immovable  objects  wholly  at  the 
camerist's  mercy.  Imagine,  then,  the  far  greater 
enjoyment  of  successes  not  only  of  real  value  in 
themselves,  but  undeniable  tributes  to  one's  skill 
both  as  photographer  and  hunter. 

Nor  should  this  introduction  be  closed  without 
due  acknowledgment  to  the  educational  value  of 
photography,  to  its  power  to  widen  the  scope  of  our 
vision,  and  to  increase  our  appreciation  of  the  beau- 
tiful. There  is  a  magic  in  the  lens,  the  ground  glass, 
and  the  dark  cloth  which  transform  the  commonest 
object  into  a  thing  of  rarest  interest. 


THE   OUTFIT  AND  METHODS   OF  THE 
BIED   PHOTOGRAPHER 


THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT 

HE  beginner  must  not  suppose  that 
good  bird  photographs  can  be 
made  only  with  expensive  appa- 
ratus. Under  favorable  conditions 
there  is  no  great  difference  in  the 
results  secured,  with  the  ordinary 
camera  and  lens  of  any  reputable 
maker  and  those  of  the  highest  class.  My  own 
work  has  for  the  greater  part  been  done  with  an 
outfit  costing  about  thirty  dollars ;  and  although 
the  best  lens  is,  of  course,  to  be  desired  it  is  not  a 
necessity,  and  cost  therefore  is  no  more  an  obstacle 
to  the  hunting  of  birds  with  a  camera  than  it  is 
to  their  pursuit  with  a  gun. 

The  Camera. — Individual  taste  will  doubtless 
govern  the  size  of  the  camera  chosen,  but  most  natu- 
ralists and  sportsmen  consider  the  camera  carrying  a 
plate  four  by  five  inches  as  the  one  best  adapted  to 
their  wants,  and  with  this  decision  I  heartily  agree. 
The  advantages  of  size,  weight,  and  economy,  both 
as  regards  the  camera,  its  holders,  and  plates,  are  all 
in  favor  of  the  4X5,  while  as  far  as  the  bird  pho- 
tographer is  concerned,  it  is  not  often  that  he  has 
need  of  anything  larger.  The  image  of  a  bird  will 
rarely  be  without  adequate  setting  in  a  space  four 


THE  BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  7 

by  five  inches,  which  will  also  be  found  to  be  large 
enough  for  the  portrayal  of  nests  and  eggs. 

The  4X5  also  reduces  proportionately  in  making 
lantern  slides,  and  if  the  picture  is  made  the  long 
way  of  the  plate— that  is,  higher  than  broad — it  can 
be  easily  adapted  for  illustrative  purposes  in  duo- 
decimo or  octavo  books.  When  a  larger  picture  is 
desired  it  can  readily  be  made  by  enlargement,  an 
increase  in  size  of  three  diameters,  or  six  times  the 
area,  being  possible  from  a  sharp  negative  without 
undue  loss  of  definition. 

For  use  from  a  tripod  any  one  of  the  several  ex- 
cellent long-focus  cameras  now  on  the  market  will 
be  found  to  answer  every  requirement.  If  it  is  pro- 
posed to  employ  a  telephoto  lens,  care  should  be 
taken  to  select  the  camera  combining  greatest  bel- 
lows length  with  rigidity.  A  reversible  back  in- 
creases the  size  somewhat  but  adds  to  the  length  of 
bellows,  and  will  be  found  serviceable  in  the  many 
awkward  situations  in  which  the  bird  photographer 
is  often  placed  by  the  nature  of  his  subjects. 

The  Kearton  brothers  have  an  "  adjustable  min- 
iature "  011  the  top  of  their  camera,  which  they  state 
"  is  used  as  a  sort  of  view  finder  when  making  studies 
of  flying  birds.  When  fixed  in  position  and  its 
focus  has  been  set  exactly  like  its  working  com- 
panion beneath  it,  both  are  racked  out  in  the  same 
ratio  by  the  screw  dominating  the  larger  appa- 
ratus." *  The  purposes  of  this  attachment,  however, 

*  From  Wild  Life  at  Home,  how  to  Study  and  Photograph  It, 
by  R.  Kearton,  illustrated  by  C.  Kearton  ;  a  work  of  the  utmost 
interest  to  the  animal  photographer,  who  should  also  read  With 
Nature  and  a  Camera,  by  the  same  authors  (Cassell  &  Co.). 


g  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

will,  it  seems  probable,  be  better  served  by  the  re- 
flecting camera  described  below,  while  as  a  finder 
alone  its  place  may  be  taken  by  the  "  iconoscope  " 
and  other  of  the  prism  finders,  the  brilliant  image 
cast  by  which  is  such  a  striking  and  satisfactory 
improvement  on  the  hazy  outlines  given  by  the 
average  so-called  "  finder." 

For  use  as  a  hand- box  only  two  kinds  of  camera 
are  available,  for  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  set-focus  or  short-focus,  wide  angle  "  snap-shot " 
cameras,  so  popular  among  the  button-pressing  fra- 
ternity, are  not  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  bird 
photographer,  who  must  therefore  avail  himself  of 
either  a- twin-lens  or  a  reflecting  camera. 

Twin-lens  cameras  are  manufactured  by  several 
well-known  firms,  but  the  trade  size  is  of  too  short 
focus  to  be  desirable.  In  this  type  of  camera  two 
lenses  of  equal  foci  are  employed.  They  are  set  one 
above  the  other  in  bellows,  which  move  as  one.  The 
lower  lens  makes  the  picture,  the  upper  projects  a 
duplicate  of  the  image  cast  by  the  lower  lens  to  a 
mirror  set  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  to  the 
plane  of  the  plate,  whence  it  is  reflected  upward  to 
a  ground  glass,  which  is  protected  by  a  hood,  on  top 
of  the  camera. 

To  focus  perfectly  the  lenses  should  be  "  matched  " 
or  "paired" — in  short,  interchangeable — thereby 
greatly  increasing  the  cost  of  the  camera,  which  is 
also  rendered  objectionable  by  its  large  size. 

The  reflecting  camera  possesses  all  the  advan- 
tages of  the  twin-lens,  but  requires  only  one  lens, 
and  when  in  use  is  not  materially  larger  than  the 
ordinary  4X5  long- focus  box. 


THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  9 

The  reflecting  camera  now  in  my  possession  was 
designed  and  made  by  John  Rowley,  of  the  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History,  and  was  fully  de- 
scribed and  illustrated  by  him  in  Bird-Lore  for 
April,  1900.  It  resembles  the  upper  half  of  the  twin- 
lens  camera  in  that  a  mirror,  set  at  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees  to  the  plate,  is  interposed  between 
the  latter  and  the  lens,  and  reflects  its  image  to  a 
ground  glass  on  top  of  the  camera.  This  mirror, 
however,  is  movable,  and  the  desired  object  appear- 
ing in  focus  on  the  ground  glass,  a  lever  is  pressed 
downward  which  raises  the  mirror  to  the  top  of  the 
box,  where  it  automatically  releases  a  focal-plane 
shutter  (see  beyond,  under  The  Shutter)  directly  in 
front  of  the  plate,  when  the  image-bearing  rays,  be- 
fore intercepted  and  reflected  by  the  mirror,  are 
registered  on  the  plate,  from  which  the  slide  had 
previously  been  drawn. 

When  the  focal-plane  or  curtain  shutter  has  been 
set  and  the  slide  drawn  from  the  plate  holder,  this 
camera  is  like  a  cocked  gun,  which  may  be  fired  the 
moment  it  is  sighted ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  ex- 
posure may  be  made  the  instant  focus  is  secured. 
With  this  camera  one  may  take  advantage  of  any 
offering  opportunity  to  secure  a  picture  of  a  bird 
or  beast  when  afield,  and  this  fact,  by  increasing 
the  possibilities  of  an  outing,  adds  greatly  to  its 
pleasure. 

Mr.  Rowley  has  so  designed  this  camera  that  it 
may  be  used  from  a  tripod  as  well  as  in  the  hands ; 
but  when  the  tripod  camera  is  to  be  left,  perhaps 
for  hours,  hidden  near  some  bird's  nest,  I  prefer  to 
employ  the  long-focus  for  this  purpose,  and  retain 


10  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

the  reflecting  camera  for  possible  use  on  the  birds 
that  so  often  approach  closely  when  one  is  in  hiding. 
The  advantages  possessed  by  this  camera  are  so  ap- 
parent that  it  doubtless  will  soon  be  placed  on  the 
market. 

The  Lens. — Professional  photographers  differ  so 
widely  in  their  opinions  of  the  relative  qualities  of 
the  various  makes  of  lenses  now  on  the  market,  that 
I  approach  this  subject  with  diffidence,  and,  without 
presuming  to  offer  advice,  present  the  results  of  my 
experience  both  as  to  lenses  and  the  requirements  of 
the  bird  photographer.  In  regard  to  the  latter  phase 
of  the  much-discussed  question  of  "  What  lens  shall 
I  use  ? "  I  may  speak  with  more  confidence.  For 
nests  with  eggs  or  young  birds — subjects  which  may 
be  approached  closely — a  six-  to  eight-inch-focus  lens 
forms  a  large  enough  image,  and  at  the  same  time 
gives  depth  of  focus  and  sharpness  of  definition 
without  the  use  of  the  smaller  diaphragms.  In  pho- 
tographing birds,  however,  it  is  generally  difficult 
to  get  within  "shooting"  distance,  and  at  least  a 
fourteen-  to  sixteen-inch  lens  is  needed  in  order  to 
secure  an  image  of  sufficient  size.  Depth  of  focus 
is  here,  in  my  opinion,  not  desirable,  and  the  focal 
point — the  bird — is  brought  out  more  clearly  by  the 
fusion  of  all  the  objects  back  of  it  into  a  uniform 
background. 

When  a  bird,  either  young  or  old,  is  the  subject, 
great  speed  may  be  required,  and  sometimes  under 
light  conditions  which  severely  test  the  qualities  of 
the  lens.  To  fully  meet  these  demands  of  distance 
and  time  two  lenses  would  be  needed  ;  but,  aside 
from  the  increased  cost  and  the  inconvenience  of 


THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  H 

using  two  lenses,  the  great  size  and  weight  of  a 
long-focus  lens  are  drawbacks.  These  objections  are 
largely  overcome  by  the  use  of  the  symmetrical 
lenses  placed  in  most  of  the  long- focus  boxes,  or,  if 
expense  be  not  considered,  by  a  "  convertible  "  lens. 

For  several  years  I  have  used  a  "Victor"  lens, 
sold  with  the  "Premo"  long-focus  camera.  The 
combined  focus  of  the  front  and  back  lenses  is  seven 
and  a  half  inches,  of  either  of  the  lenses  alone,  fif- 
teen inches.  The  single  lens  therefore,  the  distance 
being  the  same,  gives  an  image  double  the  size  of 
that  cast  by  the  two  lenses  together. 

This  lens  has  been  thoroughly  tested,  and  many 
of  the  pictures  given  in  this  book  were  made  with  it. 
When  the  conditions  are  favorable  and  the  subject 
not  extremely  difficult  it  yields  satisfactory  results. 

The  "  convertible "  lenses  of  various  makers  are 
also  separable,  and  where  the  rear  and  front  lenses 
are  of  different  foci  three  focal  lengths  are  obtain- 
able. These  lenses  are  of  the  highest  grade,  and 
consequently  expensive.  In  a  bright  light,  or  where 
great  speed  is  not  required,  they  do  not  seem  to  be 
as  superior  to  the  trade  lens  as  the  much  higher 
price  would  lead  one  to  expect.  But  in  dull  days,  or 
in  the  shadow,  or  where  extremely  rapid  exposures 
are  necessary,  their  superior  qualities  become  evi- 
dent. My  experience  with  these  convertible  lenses 
has  been  limited  to  the  Zeiss  Anastigmat,  Series 
VII  a,  of  which  I  am  now  using  a  No.  10  with  a 
combined  focus  of  eight  inches,  the  front  and  rear 
lenses  both  having  a  focal  length  of  fourteen  inches. 
This  combination  is  preferred  to  one  in  which  the 
component  lenses  are  of  different  foci,  because  of  the 


12  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A   CAMERA 

greater  speed  of  the  two  when  combined,  and  fur- 
thermore, because,  being  of  the  same  focus,  they 
could,  if  occasion  arose,  be  used  in  a  twin-lens  box. 
The  speed  of  the  combination  is  registered  at  F.  6.3 ; 
that  of  the  single  lenses  at  12.5.  With  the  former 
the  most  rapid  exposures  can  be  made  successfully, 
while  the  latter  are  sufficiently  fast  to  permit  of 
ordinary  instantaneous  work.  This  lens  is  stated 
to  cover  a  5  X  8|  plate,  and  when  in  use  on  a  4  X  5 
camera  gives  a  high  degree  of  illumination  and  per- 
fect definition. 

The  telephoto  lens  may  be  employed  in  certain 
kinds  of  bird  photography  with  not  unsatisfactory 
results.  Its  disadvantages  are  lack  of  speed,  an  ex- 
posure of  at  least  one  half  a  second  to  a  second  being 
required  at  F.  8  in  bright  sunlight,  the  necessity 
of  extreme  care  in  focusing,  and  of  absolute  rigidity 
of  the  camera  at  the  time  of  making  the  exposure. 
In  short,  the  telephotographer  needs  more  time, 
both  before  and  after  pressing  his  bulb,  than  the 
bird  photographer  is  often  accorded.  However,  with 
such  subjects  as  nests  high  in  trees  or  on  cliffs, 
Herons  and  other  shore-inhabiting  birds,  Ducks  on 
the  water  or  Hawks  perched  in  leafless  trees,  the 
telephoto  will  be  found  serviceable. 

Negatives  are  frequently  secured  in  which  the 
figure  of  the  bird,  while  small,  is  sharp,  when,  by 
enlargement,  a  desirable  picture  can  be  made  of 
what  in  the  original  was  too  small  to  be  easily  dis- 
tinguishable. An  increase  in  size  of  two  diameters 
is  possible  from  any  fairly  sharp  negative,  but  if  the 
object  be  in  perfect  focus  an  increase  of  four  diame- 
ters may  be  made. 


THE   BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER'S   OUTFIT  13 

These  enlargements  may  be  made  with  an  en- 
larging camera  or  with  the  aid  of  a  Nehring  enlarg- 
ing lens,  which  is  placed  between  the  front  and  back 
lenses  of  the  view  lens,  when,  with  the  ordinary 
long-focus  camera,  a  magnification  of  about  four 
diameters  may  be  obtained,  the  image  being  thrown 
on  to  a  piece  of  bromide  paper  in  the  plate  holder. 

Through  enlargement  many  apparently  worth- 
less negatives  become  of  value,  and  in  some  in- 
stances pictures  can  be  made  from  different  parts  of 
the  same  negative.  From  the  sportsman-photog- 
rapher's standpoint  there  is,  however,  one  objection 
to  the  use  of  a  magnifying  lens.  It  gives  deceptive 
results,  and  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  its 
powers  are  apt  to  accord  the  photographer  undue 
praise  for  his  apparent  skill  in  successfully  ap- 
proaching some  bird  or  beast  which  may  have  been 
far  out  of  range.  A  not  wholly  unrelated  kind  of 
enlargement  is  sometimes  applied  to  the  contents  of 
creels  and  game  bags ! 

But  the  animal  photographer  is  so  heavily  handi- 
capped that  in  this  case  the  end  assuredly  justifies 
the  means.  As  a  matter  of  information,  however,  it 
seems  eminently  desirable  to  accompany  all  enlarged 
pictures  by  a  statement  of  the  extent  of  their  mag- 
nification, and  throughout  this  book  this  plan  is  fol- 
lowed. Consequently,  when  there  is  no  mention  of 
enlargement,  it  may  be  accepted  as  a  fact  that  the 
print  from  which  the  reproduction  was  made  was 
obtained  from  the  negative  by  contact. 

In  illustration  of  these  suggestions  in  regard  to 
the  proper  lenses  for  bird  photographya  a  series  of 
pictures  is  presented  which  shows  the  results  to  be 


14 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 


obtained  under  the  same  conditions  with  different 
lenses. 

Placing  a  mounted  Flicker  (Colaptes  auratus)  on 
a  fence  post,  and  setting  up  my  tripod  at  a  measured 


2.  Lens  Test  No.  1.  Mounted  Flicker  on  fence  post,  distance  fifty  feet. 
Eight-inch  focus,  Zeiss  Convertible,  No.  10,  Series  Vila  lens;  dia- 
phragm F.  8,  VJB  second  ;  Cramer  "  Crown  "  plate.  Photographed  at 
noon,  in  sunlight,  November  30,  1899. 


distance  of  fifty  feet,  a  series  of  test  exposures  was 
made,  of  which  three  are  presented  as  follows :  First,2 
eight-inch  lens  (Zeiss  Convertible  Series  VII  a,  No. 
10),  stop  F.  8,  time  5^  second ;  second,4  fourteen-inch 
front  lens  of  the  combination,  stop  F.  16  (equivalent 


THE   BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT 


15 


to  F.  4  of  the  eight-inch) ;  third,6  telephoto  attach- 
ment with  eight-inch  lens,  tweiity-one-inch  bellows, 
stop  F.  8  of  the  eight-inch,  time  one  second.  Com- 
menting on  the  results  of  these  tests  it  may  first  be 


3.  The  bird  in  Test  No.  1  enlarged  about  three  diameters. 

mentioned  that  in  the  "  Unicum  "  shutter  employed 
exposures  of  a  so-called  "T£¥"  and  "-fa"  seconds  gave 
exactly  the  same  results  both  with  the  combined 
eight-inch  lens  and  the  front  fourteen-inch  lens ;  the 
actual  time,  however,  was  doubtless  not  far  from  ^ 
of  a  second.  The  negatives,  therefore,  show,  in  the 
first  place,  that  the  long-focus  lens  is  capable  of 
doing  fairly  rapid  work.  Continuing  our  compari- 


16 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH   A   CAMERA 


son,  we  observe  that  the  eight-inch  gives  a  fairly 
wide  field,  excellent  depth  of  focus,  but  a  very  small 
image  of  the  bird,  for  which  alone  the  picture  has 
been  made.  With  the  f  ourteen-inch  we  decrease  the 


.   ,, 


4.  Lens  Test  No.  2.  Same  subject,  distance,  plate,  and  date  as  Test  No.  1. 
Front  lens  (fourteen -inch  focus)  of  Zeiss  Convertible,  No.  10;  dia- 
phragm F.  1 6  ;  l/25  second. 


extent  of  the  field  nearly  one  half  and  almost  double 
the  size  of  the  object  pictured.  This,  however,  has 
been  done  at  the  loss  of  depth  of  focus,  not  even  the 
first  of  the  line  of  posts  running  directly  into  the 


THE   BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT 


17 


background  being  sharply  defined,  while  with  the 
eight-inch  all  are  in  focus. 

The  telephoto  gives  an  enlargement  of  about  six 
diameters  of  the  image  thrown  by  eight-inch  lens, 


• 


5.  The  bird  in  Test  No.  2  enlarged  about  three  diameters. 

and  three  diameters  increase  of  that  of  the  fourteen- 
inch  lens.  It  practically  restricts  the  picture  to  the 
immediate  surroundings  of  the  bird,  and  is  without 
focal  depth. 

Having  now  made  three  good  negatives  in  the 
field,  we  may,  by  enlargement,  improve  on  the  image 
of  the  bird  obtained.  The  possibilities  in  this  direc- 
tion are  clearly  shown  by  the  three  enlargements 


18 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


accompanying  the  contact  prints  from  their  respec- 
tive negatives.  In  each  instance  the  enlargement  is 
about  three  diameters,  and  the  telephoto  negative 
of  course  furnishes  the  most  satisfactory  picture. 


6.  Lens  Test  No.  3.  Same  subject,  distance,  plate,  and  date  as  Tests  Nos. 
2  and  3.  Eight-inch  Zeiss  Convertible,  Series  VII  o,  No.  10,  with  tele- 
photo  attachment ;  diaphragm  F.  8  ;  twenty-oue-inch  bellows ;  one  sec- 
ond (Va  second  was  later  found  to  be  full  time). 

When  the  difficulties  of  telephotography  are  consid- 
ered, however,  and  the  ^Vsecon(^  exposure  of  the 
fourteen-inch  lens,  which  permits  of  hand  work,  is 
compared  with  the  one  second  of  the  telephoto,  we 
believe  that  for  general  work  in  photographing 


THE   BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  19 

birds  a  lens  having  a  focal  length  of  at  least  four- 
teen inches  will  be  found  the  most  satisfactory. 
It  should  be  added  that,  in  order  to  make  them 
wholly  comparable,  the  three  contact  prints  as  well 


7.  The  bird  in  Test  Xo.  3  enlarged  about  three  diameters. 

as  the  enlargements  were  made  on  enameled  bromide 
paper. 

The  Shutter. — For  fairly  rapid,  slow,  and  time 
exposures,  a  lens  shutter,  such  as  is  sold  with  trade 
cameras,  will  be  found  suitable.  Simplicity  and 
noiselessness  are  the  chief  requirements  in  this  kind 
of  a  shutter.  The  "  Iris  Diaphragm  "  shutter  is  noise- 


20  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

less  when  used  for  slow  exposures  of  two  or  three 
seconds,  a  matter  of  much  importance  in  making 
time  pictures  of  sitting  birds,  who  are  apt  to  turn 
their  head  if  they  hear  the  click  of  the  shutter.  This 
shutter,  however,  does  not  respond  quickly  in  slow 
exposures  and  is  very  heavy,  a  disadvantage  in  tele- 
photography. 

The  "  Unicum  "  shutter  is  lighter,  responds  quick- 
ly, has  a  lever  to  which  a  thread  may  be  attached 
for  making  exposures  from  a  distance,  can  be  easily 
diaphragmed  from  the  rear,  but  is  not  wholly  noise- 
less. There  are  also  other  shutters,  each  possessing 
good  points  of  its  own,  and  the  selection  of  any  one  of 
them  for  use  in  medium  rapid,  slow,  or  time  work 
can  be  left  to  the  photographer,  who  should,  how- 
ever, remember  that  the  time  scales  on  these  shutters 
represent  degrees  of  difference  and  not  exact  meas- 
urements of  time,  and  that  there  is  great  variation 
in  the  exposures  of  different  shutters  of  the  same 
make  when  similarly  adjusted.  Thus  the  "  one  fifth 
of  a  second"  of  one  shutter  may  be  equivalent  to 
the  "  one  second  "  of  another.  The  scale  on  most  of 
these  shutters  calls  for  a  speed  not  exceeding  a  jfa 
part  of  a  second,  but  this  is  far  too  slow  an  exposure 
to  successfully  photograph  a  flying  bird  at  short 
range  where  a  speed  of  at  least  ?^7  of  a  second  is 
required. 

For  very  rapid  work  the  choice  is  limited  to  one 
kind  of  shutter — that  is,  the  focal-plane,  which  in 
effect  is  a  curtain  with  an  adjustable  slit  which  is 
placed  directly  in  front  of  the  plate.  Great  speed 
with  this  shutter  is  in  part  secured  by  increasing 
the  tension  of  the  spring,  which  acts  as  its  motive 


THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  21 

power,  but  more  particularly  by  decreasing  the 
width  of  the  slit.  Assuming,  therefore,  that  it 
takes  one  second  for  the  slit  to  pass  from  top  to  bot- 
tom of  a  plate  four  inches  high,  and  that  the  slit  is 
one  inch  in  width,  it  follows  that  each  portion  of 
the  plate  is  exposed  to  the  light  for  a  quarter  of  a 
second.  Decreasing  the  width  of  the  slit  one  half, 
proportionally  reduces  the  time  of  the  exposure, 
and  by  this  means,  in  connection  with  an  increase  in 
the  speed  with  which  the  curtain  is  moved,  an  ex- 
posure of  ToV7  of  a  second  is  possible. 

In  addition  to  possessing  the  advantage  of  great 
speed,  this  shutter  also  passes  a  higher  percentage  of 
light  than  a  lens  shutter  even  when  the  actual  time 
of  the  so-called  exposure  is  the  same.  This  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  lens  opening  is  in  no  way  af- 
fected, it  being  the  same  throughout  the  exposure. 
With  a  lens  shutter,  on  the  contrary,  the  full  value 
of  the  opening  is  given  for  only  a  fractional  part  of 
the  exposure,  the  parts  of  the  shutter  more  or  less 
filling  the  opening  during  the  rest  of  the  time. 
With  a  focal-plane  shutter,  therefore,  one  may  do 
rapid  work  under  conditions  where  a  lens  shutter 
could  not  be  successfully  employed ;  time  exposures, 
however,  can  not  be  made  with  the  focal-plane 
shutter,  and  for  all-around  work  the  camera 
should  be  fitted  with  both  a  lens  and  a  focal-plane 
shutter. 

The  reflecting  camera,  as  before  stated,  is  fitted 
with  a  focal-plane  shutter,  and,  as  described,  it  is 
released  by  pressing  the  lever,  which  raises  the  mir- 
ror. Lens  shutters,  however,  are  released  by  a 
pneumatic  bulb,  or  in  some  cases  by  a  thread  or 


22  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 

string.  When  the  exposure  is  to  be  made  from  a 
distance  as  much  as  one  hundred  feet  of  tubing  may 
be  employed.  With  any  length  of  over  twenty-five 
feet  an  extra  large  bulb  is  required.  The  ordinary 
tubing  sold  by  photographers  will  not  be  found  so 
well  adapted  to  long-distance  work  as  a  less  elastic 
kind,  which  does  not  so  readily  yield  to  pressure  and 
transmits  a  larger  portion  of  the  force  applied  when 
squeezing  the  bulb. 

The  Tripod. — A  stout  two-length  tripod  is  to  be 
preferred  to  one  of  the  slender  multifolding  type,  in 
which  stability  is  sacrificed  to  weight  and  size.  The 
legs,  except  the  inner  sides  of  the  upper  section  into 
which  the  lower  section  slides,  and  brass  work  should 
be  painted  bark  color  in  order  to  make  them  as  in- 
conspicuous as  possible.  For  use  in  the  water  a 
metal  tripod  will  prove  more  serviceable  than  one 
of  wood. 

A  very  useful  substitute  for  a  tripod  is  the 
"Graphic"  ball-and-socket  clamp  designed  more 
especially  for  bicycle  careerists.  With  it  a  camera 
can  easily  be  attached  to  the  limb  of  a  tree,  rung  of 
a  ladder,  or,  by  screwing  a  block  on  to  the  head  of 
the  tripod,  it  may  be  employed  in  connection  with 
the  tripod — in  fact  its  applicability  will  be  evident 
to  every  one  using  it. 

Plates. — Among  the  many  excellent  brands  of 
plates  now  offered  to  photographers  there  is  real]y 
very  little  difference.  However,  it  is  advisable  to 
select  the  one  you  think  the  most  rapid  and  use  it 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  others.  Under  certain  cir- 
cumstances— in  photographing  Robins,  for  instance 
— isochromatic  plates  will  be  found  desirable,  and 


THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  23 

where  a  strong  head  light  can  not  be  avoided  non- 
halation  plates  may  be  employed. 

So  much  industry,  skill,  and  patience  are  gener- 
ally required  of  the  bird  photographer  before  he 
makes  an  exposure  that  he  should  guard  against  all 
chances  of  failure  from  the  photographic  side.  It  is 
therefore  advisable  to  thoroughly  test  plates  which 
it  is  probable  may  be  exposed  on  a  very  difficult 
subject.  Under  no  circumstances  should  the  plate 
holders  be  needlessly  exposed  to  the  light,  and  when 
the  camera  is  to  be  left  for  an  indefinite  period  with 
the  slide  drawn  from  the  holder  and  plate  ready  to 
expose,  it  should  be  carefully  wrapped  in  the  dark 
cloth. 

Blinds.— As  the  sportsman  constructs  blinds  in 
which  he  may  conceal  himself  from  his  prey,  so  the 
bird  photographer  may  employ  various  means  of 
hiding  from  his  subjects.  The  Keartons  recommend 
an  artificial  tree  trunk  for  use  in  wooded  places  and 
an  artificial  rubbish  heap  for  open  fields.  The  former 
may  be  made  of  light  duck,  painted  to  resemble 
bark,  and  placed  over  a  frame. 

The  frame  of  the  Keartons'  is  of  bamboo,  but  I 
find  white  pine  answers  very  well,  the  main  things 
to  be  considered  being  lightness  and  portability. 
The  frame  should  therefore  be  collapsible  in  order 
that  it  may  be  easily  packed. 

The  Keartons'  field  blind  or  "  rubbish  heap  "  con- 
sists of  an  umbrella,  to  each  of  the  ribs  of  which 
strips  of  bamboo  four  feet  in  length  are  tied.  This 
is  then  covered  with  light  brown  holland  and  wisps 
of  straw  tied  over  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  "  virtually 
thatch  the  whole  structure,"  Doubtless  cornstalks 


24  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

properly  arranged  would  make  an  excellent  field 
blind. 

It  is  difficult  to  carry  one  of  these  blinds  in 
addition  to  a  camera,  etc.,  without  assistance,  and 
I  fear  that  the  inconvenience  attending  their  use 
will  restrict  them  to  the  few  enthusiasts  who  count 
neither  time,  labor,  nor  cost  in  attaining  a  desired 
end. 

For  my  own  part,  I  prefer,  when  possible,  to  con- 
ceal my  camera  and  make  the  exposure  from  a  dis- 
tance rather  than  to  weight  myself  with  a  portable 
blind  and  to  endure  the  discomforts  of  being  con- 
fined within  it. 

Sundries. — The  bird  photographer  will  find  that 
he  requires  numerous  articles  not  usually  to  be  found 
in  the  regulation  photographic  outfit,  as,  for  exam- 
ple, climbers  for  ascending  trees  and  stout  cords  for 
hauling  the  camera  up  after  him ;  a  dark-cloth,  green 
in  color,  to  aid  in  disguising  the  camera,  and  a  mir- 
ror. The  latter  should  be  of  plate  glass,  and  meas- 
ure at  least  twelve  by  ten  inches.  A  good  plan  is  to 
buy  a  piece  of  glass  of  desired  size  and  frame  it  sim- 
ply in  white  pine.  It  may  then  be  attached  to  a 
limb,  a  stick  driven  in  the  ground,  or  other  conven- 
ient object,  by  means  of  the  ball-and-socket  clamp 
mentioned  under  Tripods,  which  may  be  screwed  into 
the  back  or  the  outer  border  of  the  frame.  Such  a 
mirror  will  reflect  sunlight  many  yards  to  shaded 
nests,  where,  in  photographing  old  or  young  birds,  a 
quick  exposure  is  necessary.  A  vest-pocket  mirror, 
for  use  in  reflecting  the  reading  of  the  diaphragms 
or  time  on  the  shutter,  will  permit  one  to  make  the 
desired  changes  from  the  rear,  and  thus  prove  help- 


THE   BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER'S  OUTFIT  25 

fill  when  conditions  do  not  permit  one  to  work  in 
front  of  the  camera. 

A  device  which  might  be  arranged  on  the  princi- 
ple of  a  trap,  the  trigger  to  be  sprung  and  exposure 
made  when  the  bait  is  taken,  would  doubtless  cap- 
ture some  interesting  pictures.  An  apparatus  con- 
nected with  an  automatically  fired  flash-light,  has 
been  employed  by  Mr.  G.  A.  Shiras,  of  Pittsburg,  in 
photographing  deer  at  night,  with  phenomenal  suc- 
cess. The  connection  with  the  camera  shutter  was 
so  made  that  the  deer,  in  walking,  touched  a  cord 
which  exploded  the  flash-light,  and,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, made  the  exposure.  The  light  weight  of  most 
birds,  however,  requires  a  much  more  delicate  appa- 
ratus, while  an  even  greater  difficulty  is  found  in 
the  movement  caused  by  the  release  of  the  trigger, 
which  startles  the  bird  just  as  the  exposure  is 
made. 

Thus  far  in  my  experiments  I  have  been  unable 
to  overcome  these  objections,  but  I  trust  some  other 
bird  photographer  will  be  more  successful. 

Those  who  are  ambitious  in  the  direction  of  cliff 
photography -I  would  refer  to  the  Keartons'  admi- 
rable treatise  on  the  subject  in  their  Wild  Life  at 
Home,  for  a  description  of  the  paraphernalia  needed 
and  the  manner  in  which  it  should  be  used.  My 
own* experience  in  this  line  is  limited,  and  I  confess 
to  the  utter  absence  of  a  desire  to  increase  it ! 


THE  METHODS  OF  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER 


LAIMING  no  special  knowledge  of 
the  technique  of  pure  photogra- 
phy, I  would  refer  the  beginner  to 
any  of  the  several  excellent  books 
designed  to  explain  the  rudiments 
of  optical  and  chemical  photogra- 
phy, and  to  instruct  in  regard  to 
the  matters  of  exposing,  developing,  printing,  etc. 
Only  such  suggestions  are  given  here,  therefore,  as 
relate  directly  to  the  manner  in  which  birds,  their 
nests,  eggs,  and  haunts  may  be  photographed. 

Haunts.  —  Photographs  of  the  characteristic 
haunts  of  birds  should  show  not  alone  general  to- 
pography, but  should  also  be  made  with  special  ref- 
erence to  the  bird's  feeding  habits,  which,  more  than 
anything  else,  govern  the  nature  of  the  locality 
selected.  Thus,  a  photograph  of  the  home  of  the 
Woodcock  would  have  added  value  if,  in  the  imme- 
diate foreground,  the  "  borings  "  made  by  this  bird 
in  probing  the  earth  for  food  were  evident ;  or  a 
marsh  scene,  in  which  wild  rice  was  conspicuous, 
would  tell  something  of  both  the  haunts  and  the 
food  habits  of  the  Reedbird  and  Red-winged  Black- 
bird in  August  and  September.  In  a  similar  way, 
pictures  of  wild  cherry  and  dogwood  trees,  of  bay- 
berries  and  red  cedar,  which  show  both  fruit  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER   27 


surroundings,  are  of  interest  in  connection  with  the 
biographies  of  many  birds. 

Seasons. — The  camera  permits  us  to  make  so  ex- 
act a  record  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  year,  as  it  is 
registered  by  vegeta- 
tion, that  we  can  actu- 
ally compare  existing 
conditions  with  those 
which  prevailed  at  any 
previous  time.  Com- 
pare, for  example,  the 
series  of  four  pic- 
tures8"11 here  presented, 
all  made  from  the  same 
point  of  view,  in  order 

to  appreciate  how  graphically  seasonal  changes  may 
be  shown  by  the  camera.  In  this  instance,  photog- 
raphy is  of  more  service  to  the  botanist  than  to  the 
ornithologist ;  but  every  student  of  migration  knows 

how  closely  related  are 
the  appearance  of  cer- 
tain birds  and  flow- 
ers, and  will  readily 
appreciate,  therefore, 
the  value  of  a  series 
of  photographs  of  sev- 
eral different  subjects, 
taken  at  short  inter- 
vals, and  showing  the 
changes  in  vegetation  due  to  the  approach  of  sum- 
mer or  winter.  In  connection  with  such  related 
phenomena  as  temperature,  rainfall,  and  weather, 
these  pictures  form  as  accurate  a  record  of  the  sea- 


9.  Summer. 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


10.  Autumn. 


sons  as  it  is  possible  to  make,  and  if  data  of  this 
kind  could  be  brought  together  from  many  selected 
localities,  we  should  have  an  admirable  basis  for  the 
intelligent  study  of  certain  phases  of  bird  migration. 

Nests  and  Eggs. — 
The  photographing  of  W 
nests  is  one  of  the  sim- 
pler forms  of  bird  pho- 
tography, but  in  many 
instances  success  is 
achieved  only  through 
the  exercise  of  much 
patience  and  ingenuity. 
It  should  constantly 

be  borne  in  mind,  in  photographing  nests,  that  what 
is  desired  is  not  so  much  a  picture  of  the  nest  alone 
as  one  which  shows  it  in  relation  to  its  environment 
— in  short,  a  picture  of  the  nesting  site  is  of  more 
„___-„_  value  than  one  of  the 

nest  only.  It  is  advis- 
able, however,  to  make 
at  least  three  pictures, 
two12'13  of  which  shall 
show  the  nature  of  the 
locality  chosen,  the 
other14  the  character 
of  the  nest  and  its  im- 
mediate surroundings. 
When  the  nest  is  not 

above  five  feet  from  the  ground,  little  difficulty  will 
be  experienced  in  securing  the  desired  picture. 
When  on  the  ground  it  will  sometimes  be  found 
helpful  to  put  what  naturally  would  be  the  rear 


11.  Winter. 


THE  METHODS  OF  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER   29 

leg  of  the  tripod  forward,  between  the  other  two, 
when  it  will  serve  as  a  brace  from  in  front,  and  per- 
mit the  camera  to  be  tilted  well  downward  without 
danger  of  its  falling. 

Nests  at  an  elevation  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  in 
saplings,  may  be  photographed  by  lengthening  the 
tripod  with  short  legs,  each  supplied  with  two  sta- 


12.  To  show  nest  locality  of:  1,  Tree  Swallow;  2,  American  Bittern;  3, 
Song  Sparrow ;  4,  Maryland  Yellow-throat ;  5,  Marsh  Hawk,  of  which 
nesting  site,  nest,  and  young  are  shown  in  the  two  following  pictures, 
Nos.  13  and  14.  Meridian,  N.  Y.,  June  8, 1898. 


pies  or  collars  into  which  the  ends  of  the  tripod  may 
be  slipped ;  or  a  ladder  or  light  scaffolding  will 
sometimes  be  found  necessary. 

For  photographing  nests  in  trees  the  "  Graphic  " 
ball-and-socket  clamp  is  of  great  assistance.  With 
it  the  camera  may  be  attached  to  a  limb,  or,  if  the 
limb  is  too  large,  a  block  may  be  nailed  to  it,  thus 


30 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


furnishing  a  grip  to  which  the  clamp  may  be  fas- 
tened. 

Nests  should  be  photographed  from  the  side,  but 


13.   Nesting  site,  nest,  and  young  of  Marsh  Hawk. 

eggs  should  be  photographed  from  above  in  order 
to  show  their  position  in  the  nest  as  they  were  ar- 
ranged by  the  incubating  bird.  The  nest  should 


THE  METHODS  OP  THE   BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER       31 

therefore  never  be  tipped,  nor  should  the  eggs  be 
touched,  lest  the  value  of  the  subject  be  destroyed. 
The  markings  of  most  birds'  eggs  are  already  well 
known,  but  if  photographs  of  them  are  desired  they 
can  be  made  from  the  thousands  of  eggshells  with 
which  ill-directed  effort  has  stocked  the  cabinets  of 
misguided  oologists. 


14.   Young  Marsh  Hawks  and  nest. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  make  photographs  of  nests 
in  the  sunlight,  a  diffused  light  giving  greater  de- 
tail. A  screen  of  some  thin  white  material  should 
therefore  be  used  as  a  shade  when  photographing 
nests  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  This, 
however,  will  not  be  found  necessary  if  the  picture 
be  made  within  two  or  three  hours  after  sunrise, 


32 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


when  the  light  is  soft  and  the  foliage  comparatively 
motionless,  permitting  the  use  of  a  small  diaphragm 
and  a  long  exposure. 

Young  Birds. — The  ease  with  which  photographs 
of  young  birds  may  often  be  secured,  the  fact  that 
with  the  camera  their  appearance  and  development 
may  be  more  satisfactorily  recorded  than  in  any 
other  way,  makes  their  study  by  the  photographer 
of  exceeding  importance.  Photographs  of  young 

birds  should  of 
course  be  accom- 
panied by  notes  on 
food,  calls,  special 
actions,  etc.,  which 
the  camera  can  not 
well  portray. 

The  young  bird 
is  a  worthy  subject 
from  the  moment 
it  leaves  the  shell 
until,  as  far  as 
flight  is  concerned, 
it  deserves  to  be 
ranked  with  its  elders.  When  possible,  series  of 
pictures  should  be  made  showing  the  rate  of  growth 
of  the  same  brood  from  the  period  of  hatching  to 
the  date  when  the  nest  is  deserted.  Circumstances 
do  not,  however,  often  permit  of  the  forming  of 
these  ideal  series,  and  we  must  therefore  photograph 
the  young  bird  as  we  find  him,  either  before  or 
after15  he  has  made  his  initial  flight,  or  as  he  is 
preparing  for  it.16 

The  suggestions  made  under  the  head  of  Birds' 


15.  Young  Great-crested  Flycatcher. 


THE  METHODS  OP  THE  BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHER 


33 


Nests  and  Eggs  will  apply  in  a  general  way  to  pho- 
tographing young  in  the  nest;  but  even  when  at 
rest  in  other  respects,  the  rapid  respiration  of  nest- 
lings requires  a  quick  exposure  to  insure  sharpness 
of  outline,  and,  when  in  the  shadow,  sufficient  illu- 


16.  Young  Baltimore  Orioles  and  nest. 

mination  can  be   secured   only  with   the   aid  of  a 
reflector. 

Adult  Birds. — It  is  in  photographing  birds  in  the 
full  possession  of  the  powers  of  maturity  that  the 
bird  photographer's  skill  and  patience  are  put  to 
the  most  severe  tests.  It  might  be  said  that,  from 
a  strictly  ornithological  point  of  view,  the  results 
obtained  do  not  in  many  instances  justify  the  time 
expended.  Success,  however,  in  this  field,  as  in  many 
others,  is  not  to  be  measured  by  the  attainment  of  a 
certain  end,  but  often  by  the  experience  gained  in 
what,  to  one  having  only  the  ultimate  object  in 
view,  may  seem  to  have  been  fruitless  effort. 


34  B1ED   STUDIES   WITH  A   CAMERA 

In  matching  one's  ability  as  a  hunter  against  the 
timidity  and  cunning  of  a  bird,  relations  are  estab- 
lished between  the  photographer  and  his  subject 
which  of  necessity  result  in  their  becoming  inti- 
mately associated. 

Doubtless  we  shall  never  know  just  what  birds 
think  of  the  peculiar  antics  in  which  the  camera 


17.   Wood  Thrush  on  nest. 

enthusiast  sometimes  indulges,  but  certain  it  is  that 
an  attempt  to  photograph  some  of  the  most  familiar 
and  presumably  best-known  birds  will  open  the 
photographer's  eyes  to  facts  in  their  life  histories 
of  which  he  was  previously  in  utter  ignorance. 


THE  METHODS  OF  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER       35 


As  a  known  and  fixed  point  to  which  the  bird 
may  be  expected  to  return,  the  nest  offers  the  best 
opportunity  to  the  bird  photographer,  and  photo- 
graphs of  adult  birds  on  or  at  their  nests  are  more 
common  than  those  taken  under  other  conditions.17' 18 

Birds  vary  greatly  in  their  attitude  toward  a 
camera  which  has  been  erected  near  their  homes ; 
some  species  paying 
little  attention  to  it, 
and,  after  a  short 
time,  coming  and  go- 
ing as  though  it  had 
always  been  there, 
while  others  are  sus- 
picious of  any  object 
which  changes  the 
appearance  of  their 
surroundings. 

With  the  latter 
special  precautions 
are  necessary,  and 
unusual  care  should 

be  taken  in  working  about  their  nests  lest  they  be 
made  to  desert  it.  The  long-focus  lens  is  here  of 
great  service,  for  it  enables  one  to  secure  a  suf- 
ficiently large  image  from  a  distance  of  ten  or  twelve 
feet.  Even  then  it  will  often  be  necessary  to  con- 
ceal or  disguise  the  camera  by  covering  it  with  the 
green  dark-cloth,  vines,  and  leaves.  A  rubber  tube 
or  thread  of  requisite  length  is  then  attached  and 
the  exposure  is  made  from  a  distance. 

A  dummy  camera,  composed  of  a  box  or  log 
wrapped  in  a  green  cloth  and  placed  on  a  tripod 


18.  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  on  nest. 


36  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 

made  from  saplings,  may  sometimes  be  erected  to 
advantage  several  days  before  one  expects  to  attempt 
to  photograph  the  bird,  who  in  the  meantime  be- 
comes accustomed  to  it  and  quickly  returns  to  the 
nest  after  the  real  camera  has  been  substituted. 

The  artificial  tree  trunk  would  doubtless  be  of 
assistance  in  some  kinds  of  bird-at-the-nest  photog- 
raphy, especially  when  one  desired  to  secure  pictures 
of  the  old  bird  feeding  its  young,  and  was  obliged 
therefore  to  make  the  exposure  at  just  the  proper 
moment.  In  most  instances,  however,  there  is  suffi- 
cient undergrowth  in  the  immediate  vicinity  to 
afford  concealment,  from  which  with  the  aid  of  a 
glass  one  may  take  note  of  events. 

With  the  reflecting  camera  one  may  stalk  birds 
on  foot  or  with  a  boat,  or  "  squeak  "  them  into  range 
by  kissing  the  back  of  the  hand  vigorously,  a  sound 
which,  during  the  nesting  season  especially,  arouses 
much  curiosity  or  anxiety  in  the  bird's  mind. 

The  decoys,  blinds,  batteries,  sneak  boxes,  etc.,  of 
the  sportsman  are  also  at  the  disposal  of  the  hunter 
with  a  camera,  though  I  must  admit  that  my  one 
outing  to  photograph  bay  birds  over  decoys  resulted 
in  an  empty  bag.  It  was  in  the  spring,  however, 
when  the  bay  birds  surviving  had  experienced  two 
shooting  seasons  and  were  exceedingly  wild.  In  the 
fall,  with  birds  born  the  preceding  summer,  one 
might  be  more  successful. 

Birds  may  be  sometimes  brought  within  range 
of  the  camera  by  baiting  them  with  food,  and,  after 
they  have  learned  to  expect  it,  placing  the  camera 
in  suitable  position.  This  may  be  most  easily 
done  when  there  is  snow  on  the  ground,  at  which 


THE  METHODS  OP  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER   3? 

time  hunger  makes  most  birds  less  suspicious  of 
danger. 

From  a  considerable  experience  which,  through 
poor  equipment,  has  not  yielded  adequate  return,  I  am 
convinced  that  one  may  secure  excellent  pictures  of 
many  birds  by  decoying  them  with  either  a  mounted 


19.  Catbird  scolding. 

or  living  Owl ;  doubtless  the  latter  would  be  prefer- 
able, though  I  have  never  tried  it.  With  a  poorly 
mounted  Screech  Owl,  however,  I  have  had  some 
excellent  opportunities  to  photograph.  My  plan  is 
to  select  some  spot  where  birds  are  numerous,  pref- 
erably near  the  home  of  a  Catbird,19  place  the  Owl  in 
a  conspicuous  position,  and  erect  near  it  a  "  scolding 
perch,"  from  which  the  protesting  bird  may  con- 


38  BIRD   STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 

veniently  vituperate  the  poor  unoffending  little 
bunch  of  feathers  with  its  staring  yellow  eyes.  The 
camera  is  then  focused  on  the  scolding  perch  and 
the  photographer  retires  into  the  undergrowth,  and, 
bulb  in  hand,  waits  for  some  bird  to  take  the  desired 
stand. 

A  Catbird's  domain  is  chosen  for  the  reason  that 
this  species  is  the  alarmist  of  whatever  neighbor- 
hood it  may  inhabit,  and  once  its  attention  has  been 
attracted  to  the  Owl  by  "squeaking"  or  uttering 
the  alarm  notes  of  other  birds,  the  photographer 
may  subside  and  let  the  Catbird  do  the  rest. 

The  bird's  rage  is  remarkable,  its  fear  painful. 
Should  the  Owl  be  near  to  the  Catbird's  nest  it  will 
utter  notes  in  a  tone  of  voice  I  have  never  heard 
it  use  on  other  occasions.  It  loses  all  fear  of  the 
camera,  and  from  the  scolding  perch  screams  at  the 
Owl  with  a  vehemence  which  threatens  to  crack  its 
throat.  One  is  glad  to  remove  the  offending  cause. 

Other  birds  in  the  vicinity  are  of  course  at- 
tracted, and  hasten  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the 
uproar.  Often  a  bit  of  undergrowth,  of  which  the 
Catbird  was  apparently  the  only  feathered  tenant, 
will  be  found  to  possess  a  large  bird  population.  It 
is  interesting  to  observe  the  difference  in  the  actions 
of  various  birds  as  they  learn  the  reason  of  the  dis- 
turbance. On  the  whole,  each  species  displays  its 
characteristic  disposition  in  a  somewhat  accentuated 
manner.  The  Blue-winged  Warblers  flit  to  and  fro 
for  a  few  moments  and  then  are  gone ;  the  Chestnut- 
sided  Warbler  is  quite  anxious ;  the  Maryland  Yel- 
low-throat somewhat  annoyed  ;  the  Ovenbird  decid- 
edly concerned ;  the  Towhee  bustles  about,  but 


THE  METHODS  OP  THE  BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHER   39 

seems  to  pay  no  especial  attention  to  the  Owl ;  the 
Wood  Thrush  utters  its  sharp  pit-pit,  but  is  con- 
tent to  let  well  enough  alone  if  its  own  nest  be  not 
threatened; "and  the  Yellow-throated,  Red-eyed,  and 
White-eyed  Vireos,  particularly  the  latter,  add  their 
complaining  notes  to  the  chorus  of  protests.  Not 
one,  however,  approaches  the  Catbird  in  the  force 
of  its  remarks,  nor  does  the  bird  cease  to  outcry  so 
long  as  the  Owl  is  visible. 

It  is  felt  that  in  the  foregoing  suggestions  the 
methods  which  may  be  employed  by  the  bird  pho- 
tographer are  very  inadequately  described,  but,  as 
was  remarked  in  the  preface  of  this  volume,  the  con- 
stantly varying  circumstances  attending  his  work 
practically  prohibit  duplication  of  experience. 

In  truth,  herein  lies  the  great  charm  of  animal 
photography.  We  have  not  to  follow  certain  for- 
mulae, but  each  subject  presents  its  own  individual 
requirements,  making  the  demands  on  the  natural- 
ist's skill  and  patience  limitless  and  success  propor- 
tionately valuable. 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHY  BEGINS  AT  HOME 

HE  influence  exerted  by  the  camera 
in  creating  new  values  for  the 
bird  student  is  perhaps  nowhere 
more  evident  than  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  one's  home. 
Even  the  view  from  our  windows 
possesses  fresh  significance  as  we 
speculate  on  the  probability  of  securing  a  desirable 
picture  from  this  or  that  point  of  vantage,  while 
birds  to  which  long  familiarity  has  partially 
dimmed  our  vision  now  become  possible  subjects 
for  our  camera,  and  we  find  ourselves  observing 
their  movements  with  an  alertness  before  unknown. 
In  my  own  case,  I  have  learned  almost  to  tolerate 
the  House  Sparrows,  with  which  I  have  been  at  war 
as  long  as  memory  serves  me,  for  the  pleasure  found 
in  attempting  to  outwit  these  shrewd,  independent, 
impudent  rats  among  birds  ;  and,  on  closer  acquaint- 
ance, they  prove  such  interesting  subjects  for  study 
that,  if  their  vocal  ability  equaled  their  intelligence, 
they  might  be  as  generally  liked  as  they  are  hated. 
So  much  for  the  magic  of  a  sweet  voice.  As  it  is, 
they  possess  a  greater  variety  of  notes  than  they  are 
generally  credited  with,  and  their  conversational 
powers  undoubtedly  exceed  those  of  many  accom- 


BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHY  BEGINS  AT  HOME          41 

plished  singers.  In  addition  to  the  insistent,  reiter- 
ated chissick,  chissick,  which  constitutes  the  song  of 
the  male,  one  soon  learns  to  recognize  calls  of  warn- 
ing, alarm,  flight,  battle,  and  the  soft  whistle  which 
the  bird  utters  when  it  approaches  its  nest — the  only 
musical  note  in  its  vocabulary. 

Quick  to  notice  the  slightest  deviation  from  nor- 
mal conditions,  House  Sparrows  are  difficult  birds 


20.    House  Sparrows  and  Junco. 

to  photograph.  They  seem  to  be  constantly  on  the 
watch  for  some  sign  of  danger,  and  an  unusual  ar- 
rangement of  blind  or  shade  at  once  arouses  their 
suspicions.  After  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  however, 
hunger  dulls  the  edge  of  their  fears,  and  by  scatter- 
ing food  near  a  suitable  window  the  birds  may  be 
decoyed  within  photographing  distance.20  It  will  be 
found  necessary,  even  then,  to  conceal  the  camera, 


42  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

which   they    evidently    distinguish    from    familiar 
pieces  of  furniture  and  regard  with  alarm. 

This,  too,  is  the  best  time  to  secure  pictures  of 
Juncos,21  Chickadees,  Nuthatches,  Downy  Woodpeck- 
ers, Blue  Jays,  and  less  common  winter  birds.  The 
four  last  named  are  rarely  or  never  seen  about  my 
home  in  winter.  Doubtless  the  abundant  and  sur- 
rounding woodlands  afford  them  a  more  congenial 
haunt,  from  which  they  are  not  to  be  enticed  by  suet, 
bones,  or  grain  ;  or,  more  likely  still,  the  custom  of 
putting  out  food  for  birds  is  so  unusual  in  the  region 
about  New  York  city  that  they  have  not  yet  learned 
to  expect  it.  It  is  a  most  pleasing  surprise  to  the 


immm: 


21.  Junco. 


resident  of  this  section  to  observe  the  numbers  and 
familiarity  of  winter  birds  in  the  environs  of  Boston, 
where  a  feast  seems  spread  for  them  in  nearly  every 
dooryard. 


BIRD   PHOTOGRAPHY  BEGINS  AT   HOME 


To  return  to  the  Sparrow.     The  bird's  nest  also 
provides  a  focal  point  for  the  camera,  but,  as  else- 
where, the  greatest     , 
precautions  must  be 
taken,  and    I  have 
succeeded  in  secur- 
ing a  picture  only 
when  some   advan- 
tageously    situated 
window  afforded  a 
natural  blind.     One 
of  the  pictures  thus 
obtained     shows     a 
nest    in    the    orna- 
mental   part    of    a 
gutter,  with  the  fe- 
male looking  from 
an  adjoining  open- 
ing.22    This   gutter 
seems  especially  de- 
signed    to    furnish 
lodgings    for   Spar- 
rows,   and     no    ar- 
gument that  I  have 
thus  far  advanced  has  convinced  them  that  it  was 
not  erected  for  their  use.     During  the  early  part 
of  their  occupancy,  a  rap  on  their  roof  promptly 
brought  them  out  to  perch  in  the  branches  of  the 
neighboring  trees,  where  their  chattering  protest  was 
soon  interrupted  by  a  gunshot;  but  the  survivors 
quickly  learned  the  meaning  of  the  roof  tap,  and  now, 
without  a  moment's  pause,  they  dive  downward  from 
their  doorway  and  fly  out  of  range  at  topmost  speed. 


hr...  r  >  - 


22.  Female  House  Sparrow  and  iiest.     x  3. 


44 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 


More  welcome  tenants  than  the  House  Sparrows 
are  a  pair  of  Screech  Owls,  who  for  years  have 
reared  their  broods  in  a  dovecotelike  gable,  where 
they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  nest  robbers  of  all 
kinds.  During  the  winter  they  apparently  are  ab- 
sent, nor  indeed  are  they  seen  until  June,  when,  each 
evening  at  sundown,  one  of  the  pair,  probably  the 


23.  Screech  Owl. 


male,  takes  his  post  at  the  entrance  to  its  home  and 
gives  utterance  to  the  crooning  refrain  which  some- 
times follows  the  so-called  tremulous  "  screech." 
But  the  latter  I  never  hear  at  this  season.  In  spite 
of  the  poor  light  prevailing  at  this  hour,  the  bird's 
stillness  has  tempted  repeated  trials  to  secure  its 
picture,  and  the  most  successful,  made  with  a  four- 


BIRD  PHOTOGRAPHY  BEGINS  AT  HOME          45 

teen-inch  lens  and  an  exposure  of  fifteen  seconds,  is 
here  shown.23  Telephotos  have  thus  far  been  under- 
exposed. 

As  a  means  of  making  the  exposure  as  soon  as 
possible  after  the  Owl  appeared,  I  have  on  a  num- 
ber of  occasions  placed  my  camera  in  position,  fo- 
cused and  otherwise  made  ready  some  minutes 
before  he  was  expected,  and  I  recall  with  amusement 
the  incredulity  of  a  friend  whose  surprise  at  seeing 
me  point  my  camera  skyward  without  ostensible 
purpose  was  in  no  way  lessened  when  I  told  him 
that  I  had  an  appointment  with  an  Owl,  who  was  to 
take  his  stand  shortly  in  the  hole  toward  which  the 
camera  was  directed ;  and  fortunately  the  bird  was 
on  time ! 

From  the  perch,  some  forty  feet  aloft,  the  grave 
little  creature  surveys  the  scene  below  with  an  ex- 
pression of  combined  wisdom  and  thoughtfulness 
which  makes  a  laugh  seem  wanton  foolishness.  At 
the  border  of  dusk  and  dark  he  flies  out  to  feed, 
often  descending  to  the  ground  and  remaining  there 
for  some  moments  while  catching  insects.  Occa- 
sionally he  takes  his  prey  from  the  tree  trunks,  per- 
haps a  cicada  struggling  from  its  shell,  and  on  sev- 
eral occasions  I  have  thought  he  captured  food  on 
the  wing.  Sometimes  the  supper  hunt  leads  him  to 
the  edge  of  the  croquet  lawn,  where  from  the  earth 
or  the  back  of  a  garden  bench  he  becomes  an  inter- 
ested spectator  of  the  last  game.  When  the  young 
appear,  later  in  the  month,  the  evergreens  seem  alive 
with  Owls,  who  flit  about  and  utter  querulous  little 
calls  difficult  of  description.  Toward  the  end  of 
July,  doubtless  after  the  molt  is  completed,  presum- 


46  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A   CAMERA 

ably  the  adults — for  never  more  than  two  are  heard — 
begin  to  sing  ;  and  this  habit  of  post-nuptial  singing 
seems  not  to  be  confined  to  the  Screech  Owl,  for 
about  this  time  the  deep-toned,  resounding  notes  of 
the  Barred  Owl  come  up  from  the  woods.  Through- 
out August  and  September  the  wailing  whistle, 
which  is  ever  welcome  for  its  spirit  of  wildness,  is 
heard  nightly,  and  as  the  plaintive  notes  tremble  on 
the  hushed  air  we  invariably  say,  "  Hark,  there's 
the  Owl ! " 

My  experience  as  bird  photographer  about  home, 
I  must  admit,  has  consisted  chiefly  in  a  series  of  en- 
couraging failures  which  have  borne  no  tangible 
results.  Let  us  hope,  however,  that  the  few  pictures 
here  presented  will  prove  as  suggestive  to  the  reader 
as  they  are  to  their  maker,  who,  although  he  offers 
such  inadequate  proof  in  support  of  his  belief,  is  far 
too  well  convinced  of  the  possibilities  of  home  pho- 
tography to  go  afield  without  saying  at  least  a  word 
in  its  behalf. 


THE  CHICKADEE 


A  Study  in  Black  and  White 

ERY  early  in  my  experience  as  a 
hunter  I  became  acquainted  with  a 
small  black-and-white  bird,  who 
not  only  announced  himself  with 
unmistakable  distinctness,  but  did 
so  at  such  close  range  that  one 
could  form  a  very  clear  idea  of  his 
appearance ;  and  thus  because  of  his  notes  and  trust- 
fulness 1  learned  to  know  the  Chickadee  by  name 
years  before  I  was  aware  that  the  woods  were 
tenanted  by  dozens  of  other  more  common  but  less 
fearless  birds. 

With  regret  for  the  universality  of  the  instinct, 
I  found  that  to  see  was  to  desire.  I  had  felt  exactly 
the  same  longing  in  regard  to  other  birds,  and  had 
thrown  many  a  stone  in  a  fruitless  effort  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  half -mysterious  wild  creatures  which 
always  eluded  me ;  but  the  Chickadee  came  within 
range  of  my  bean-shooter  and  soon  paid  the  penalty 
of  misplaced  confidence.  The  little  ball  of  flesh  and 
fluffy  feathers  was  perfectly  useless,  so  after  a  day 
or  two,  the  length  of  time  depending  on  the  tem- 
perature, it  was  thrown  away. 

My  curiosity  concerning  the  Chickadee  being 
satisfied,  and  the  bird's  tameness  making  it  too  easy 

47 


48  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A   CAMERA 

a  mark  even  for  a  bean-shooter,  I  entered  on  a  new 
phase  of  Chickadee  relations.  Strangely  enough, 
the  killing  of  the  bird  seemed,  from  my  point  of 
view,  to  constitute  an  introduction  to  a  creature 
which  before  I  had  known  only  imperfectly,  and 
my  acquaintance  with  the  Chickadee  may  be  said 
to  have  begun  when  I  picked  up  the  first  bird  that 
fell  before  my  aim.  However  the  Chickadee  may 
have  regarded  my  spJ-newhat  questionable  manner 
of  gaining  his  friendship,  he  has  since  given  unmis- 
takable evidences  of  his  approval  of  my  treatment 
of  his  kind.  He  always  replies  to  my  greeting,  often 
coming  many  yards  in  answer  to  my  call,  and  on  a 
number  of  occasions  he  has  honored  me  above  most 
men  by  alighting  on  my  hand. 

When,  in  more  recent  years,  the  gun  which  suc- 
ceeded the  bean-shooter  was  in  turn  replaced  by  a 
camera,  I  found  that  the  Chickadee's  tameness  made 
him  a  mark  for  my  later  as  he  had  been  for  my 
earlier  efforts  in  bird  hunting.  Now,  however,  I 
believe  I  may  speak  for  him  as  well  as  for  myself, 
and  say  that  the  results  obtained  are  more  satisfac- 
tory to  us  both.  It  was  in  Central  Park,  New  York 
city,  in  February,  1899,  that  I  went  on  one  of  my 
first  Chickadee  hunts  with  a  camera.  Incidentally 
the  locality  gave  emphasis  to  the  advantages  of  the 
camera  over  any  other  weapon.  Imagine  the  sur- 
prise of  the  park  police  had  I  ventured  on  their  pre- 
cincts with  a  gun  on  my  shoulder !  But  with  a  cam- 
era I  could  snap  away  at  pleasure  without  any  one's 
being  the  wiser — many  of  my  "  snaps/'  I  confess 
being  attended  by  exactly  this  result.  At  this  time, 
through  the  efforts  of  an  enthusiastic  and  patient 


THE  CHICKADEE  49 

bird  lover,  who  had  improved  on  the  bird-catching 
legend  by  using  nuts  instead  of  "  salt "  and  by  sub- 
stituting bill  for  "tail,"  three  Chickadees  in  the 
Ramble  had  become  so  remarkably  tame  that  they 
would  often  flutter  before  one's  face  and  plainly 
give  expression  to  their  desire  for  food,  which  they 
took  from  one's  hand  without  the  slightest  evidence 
of  fear.  Sometimes  they  even  remained  to  pick  the 
nut  from  a  shell  while  perched  on  one's  finger,  anon 


24.  Chickadee  on  ground. 

casting  questioning  glances  at  their  host ;  but  more 
often  they  preferred  a  perch  where  they  could  give 
their  entire  attention  to  the  nut  which  was  held 
between  their  feet,  and  pecked  at  after  the  manner 
of  Blue  Jays. 

In  spite  of  the  ease  with  which  one  could  ap- 
proach these  Chickadees,  they  made  difficult  marks 
for  the  camera.  I  was  armed  with  a  "  Henry  Clay  " 
5X7  and  a  twin-lens  camera  of  the  same  size,  but 


50  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 

so  active  were  the  little  creatures  that  not  one  of 
many  exposures  proved  to  be  perfectly  focused. 
Finally  I  tried  decoying  the  birds  to  a  bone  or  bit 
of  bread  in  the  bushes,  but  somehow  they  did  not 


25.  Chickadee  taking  piece  of  bread. 

succeed  in  discovering  these  baits  until  they  were 
placed  on  the  ground.84' 85  Then  they  responded  so 
quickly  that  often  the  bread  had  disappeared  while 
my  head  was  concealed  by  the  dark-cloth,  and  fre- 
quently, while  focusing,  the  birds  would  alight  on 
the  tripod  of  the  camera.  I  was  forced,  there- 
fore, to  focus  on  a  stone,  and,  when  ready  to  make 
the  exposure,  lay  a  bit  of  bread  on  or  near  the 
focal  point,  the  two  pictures  given  being  thus  ob- 
tained. 

Various  experiences  with  these  unusually  tame 
birds  finally  led  to  what  at  first  thought  would  have 
been  considered  the  wholly  unreasonable  ambition 
of  photographing  one  of  them  in  my  hand.  The 
camera  was  therefore  erected  at  a  suitable  point  and 


THE  CHICKADEE  51 

focused  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  the  shutter  set,  and 
slide  drawn. 

Now  to  get  the  bird.  None  was  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity,  but  a  whistle  soon  brought  a  response 
from  some  neighboring  tree  tops,  and  going  beneath 
them  I  shortly  had  called  the  bird  down  to  a  nut  in 
my  palm,  and  with  him  on  my  finger  started  to  walk 
the  eighty  or  more  feet  to  the  camera.  This,  how- 
ever, was  asking  too  much,  and  the  bird  abandoned 
his  moving  perch  for  a  bordering  row  of  evergreens, 
from  which  one  or  two  more  trials  brought  him 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  desired  spot,  and  rest- 


A  bird  in  the  hand. 


ing  my  arm  against  the  tree  trunk  and  with  the 
other  hand  on  the  trigger  of  the  shutter  I  called 
again  the  two  plaintive  notes.  The  bird's  faith  was 
still  strong.  Almost  immediately  he  took  the  de- 


52  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

sired  position,  when  a  click  announced  the  realiza- 
tion of  a  bird  photographer's  wildest  dream. 

Fortunate  is  the  bird  photographer  who  discov- 
ers an  advantageously  situated  Chickadee's  nest. 
Dr.  Robert's  charming  description  in  Bird-Lore  of 
his  experience  with  a  family  of  Chickadees  stimu- 
lated my  desire  to  make  a  camera  study  of  this  spe- 
cies. The  first  nest  found,  however,  was  claimed  by 
a  band  of  roving  boys,  who  in  pure  wantonness 
pushed  down  the  stub  from  which  a  few  days  later 
the  young  would  have  issued. 

A  second  time  I  was  more  fortunate.  It  was  on 
the  morning  of  May  29,  1899,  at  Englewood,  N.  J., 
that  in  going  through  a  young  second  growth  I 
chanced  to  see  a  Chickadee,  who  in  arranging  her 
much- worn  plumage  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of 
having  recently  left  her  nest.  At  once  I  looked 
about  for  a  partly  decayed  white  birch,  a  tree  espe- 
cially suited  to  the  Chickadee's  powers  and  needs. 
The  bark  remains  tough  and  leathery  long  after  the 
interior  is  crumbling,  and  having  penetrated  the 
outer  shell  the  Chickadee  finds  no  difficulty  in  exca- 
vating a  chamber  within. 

A  few  moments'  search  revealed  a  stub  so  typical 
as  to  match  exactly  the  image  I  held  in  my  mind's 
eye,  with  an  opening  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  interior  was  too  gloomy  to  enable  one 
to  determine  its  contents,  but,  returning  in  half  an 
hour,  I  tapped  the  stub  lightly,  when,  as  though  I 
had  released  the  spring  of  a  Jack-in-a-box,  a  Chicka- 
dee popped  out  of  the  opening  and  into  a  neighboring 
tree.  I  wished  her  good  morning,  assured  her  that 


THE  CHICKADEE  53 

my  intentions  were  of  the  best,  and  promised  to 
return  and  secure  her  portrait  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

Four  days  later  I  set  up  my  camera  before  the 
door  to  the  Chickadee's  dwelling,  and,  without  at- 
tempting to  conceal  it,  attached  thread  to  the  shutter 
and  retreated  in  the  undergrowth  to  a  distance  of 
about  twenty-five  feet. 

After  having  had  most  discouraging  experiences 
with  several  birds,  who  had  evidently  regarded  the 
camera  as  a  monster  of  destruction,  and  had  refused 
to  return  to  their  nests  as  long  as  the  evil  eye  of  the 
lens  was  on  them,  it  was  consoling  to  find  a  bird 
who  had  some  degree  of  confidence  in  human  nature 
as  represented  by  photographic  apparatus. 

It  is  true  that  the  female — and  throughout  this 
description  I  assume  that  the  bird  with  much-worn 
plumage  was  of  this  sex — promptly  left  the  stub  at 
my  approach ;  but  when  I  retired  to  the  undergrowth 
there  was  no  tiresome  wait  of  hours  while  the  bird, 
flitting  from  bush  to  bush,  chirped  suspiciously,  but 
almost  immediately  she  returned  to  her  home.27  The 
camera  was  examined,  but  clearly  not  considered 
dangerous,  its  tripod  sometimes  serving  as  a  step  to 
the  nest  entrance.  The  click  of  the  shutter,  how- 
ever, when  an  exposure  was  made  as  the  bird  was 
about  to  enter  its  dwelling,  caused  some  alarm,  and 
she  flew  back  to  a  neighboring  tree,  and  for  some 
time  hopped  restlessly  from  limb  to  limb. 

The  male,  who  had  previously  kept  in  the  back- 
ground, now  approached,  and,  as  if  to  soothe  his 
troubled  mate,  thoughtfully  gave  her  a  caterpillar. 
She  welcomed  him  with  a  gentle,  tremulous  flutter- 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH   A   CAMERA 


ing  of  the  wings — a  motion  similar  to  that  made  by 
young  birds  when  begging  for  food.  He,  however, 
made  what  appeared  to  be  precisely  the  same  move- 
ments when  she  perched  beside  him. 

It  was  not  long 
before  the  female  be- 
came so  accustomed 
to  the  snap  of  the 
shutter  that  in  order 
to  prevent  her  from 
entering  the  nest  I 
was  forced  to  rush 
out  from  my  hiding 
place ;  but  at  last, 
apparently  becoming 
desperate,  she  suc- 
ceeded in  returning 
to  her  eggs  in  spite 
of  my  best  efforts  to 
prevent  her. 

There  now  ensued 
a  very  interesting 
change  in  the  bird's 
action.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  at 
first  she  had  left  the 
nest  on  hearing  me 
approach,  while  a 

light  tap  brought  her  through  the  opening  with 
startling  promptness.  But  now,  evidently  realizing 
that  a  return  to  her  duties  of  incubation  could 
be  made  only  at  great  risk,  she  determined  under  no 
conditions  to  leave  her  eggs.  In  vain  I  rapped  at 


27.  Chickadee  at  nest  1 


THE   CHICKADEE  55 

her  door  and  shook  her  dwelling  to  its  foundations ; 
no  bird  appeared,  and  not  believing  it  possible  that 
under  the  circumstances  she  would  remain  within 
the  stub,  I  felt  that  she  must  have  left  without  my 
knowledge,  and  there- 
fore retired  to  await 
her  reappearance. 

At  the  end  of  sev- 
eral minutes  the  male, 
with  food  in  his  bill, 
advanced  cautiously, 
and  clinging  to  the 
rim  of  the  nest  open- 
ing, hung  there  a  mo- 
ment and  departed 
minus  the  food.  This 
was  surprising.  Could 
there  be  young  in  the 
nest  ?  or  was  the  bird, 
in  imitation  of  the 
Hornbill,  feeding  his 
imprisoned  mate  ?  I 
rapped  again,  and  this 
time,  perhaps  taken 
unawares,  the  female 
answered  my  ques- 
tion by  appearing.  28-  Chickadee  at  nest  llt)k'- 

On  June  3d  a  family  arrived  in  the  Chickadee 
villa,  and  both  birds  were  found  actively  engaged  in 
administering  to  its  wants. 

As  a  return  for  the  inconvenience  to  which  they 
had  been  subjected,  a  perch  was  erected  by  way  of  a 
step  at  their  door.  The  female  was  appreciative  and 


56  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

at  once  availed  herself  of  this  means  of  entering  her 
home.88  The  male,  however,  as  before,  was  more 
wary.  He  had  braved  the  camera  to  bring  food  to 
his  mate,  but  his  offspring  had  apparently  not  so 
strong  a  claim  upon  him.  He  would  fly  off  in  search 
of  food  and  shortly  return  with  a  caterpillar,  then 
perch  quietly  for  several  minutes  a  few  yards  from 
the  nest,  when,  repelled  by  the  camera  and  attracted 
by  the  food  in  his  bill,  he  yielded  to  temptation,  de- 
voured the  caterpillar,  vigorously  wiped  his  bill,  at 
once  started  to  forage  for  more  food,  and  returned 
with  it  only  to  repeat  his  previous  performance. 

Occasionally  he  uttered  a  low  whistle,  addressed 
presumably  to  the  female,  and  at  times  a  chickadee- 
dee-dee,  which  I  interpreted  as  a  protest  to  me,  and 
both  notes  were  also  uttered  by  the  female. 

The  latter  took  so  kindly  to  the  doorstep  that  it 
was  determined  to  give  her  a  door,  and  to  this  end  a 
leaf  was  pinned  over  the  entrance  to  her  home  in 
such  a  manner  that  it  swung  to  and  fro,  like  the 
latch  to  a  keyhole.  This  clearly  did  not  meet  with 
her  approval,  and  at  first  she  seemed  puzzled  to  ac- 
count for  the  apparent  disappearance  of  the  nest 
opening.  But  in  less  than  a  minute  she  solved  the 
mystery,  pushed  the  leaf  to  one  side,  and  disappeared 
within. 

Returning  to  the  nest  on  June  12th,  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  of  either  parent,  and  I  feared  that  they  or 
their  offspring  had  fallen  victims  to  the  countless 
dangers  which  beset  nesting  birds  and  their  young. 
Looking  about  for  some  clew  to  their  fate,  I  found 
on  the  ground,  near  the  nest  stub,  the  worn  tail-feath- 
ers of  the  female  bird.  The  molting  season  had  not 


THE  CHICKADEE  57 

yet  arrived,  nor  would  she  have  shed  all  these  feath- 
ers at  the  same  moment.  There  could  therefore  be 
only  one  interpretation  of  their  presence.  Some  foe 
— probably  a  Sharp-shinned  or  Cooper's  Hawk,  since 
the  predaceous  mammals  for  the  most  part  hunt  at 
night,  when  the  Chickadee  would  be  snugly  sleep- 
ing in  her  nest — had  made  a  dash  and  grasped  her 
by  the  tail,  which  she  had  sacrificed  in  escaping.  A 
moment  later  the  theory  was  supported  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  subdued-looking  Chickadee,  sans  tail, 
and  I  congratulated  her  on  her  fortunate  exchange 
of  life  for  a  member  which  of  late  had  not  been  very 
decorative,  and  of  which,  in  any  event,  Nature  would 
have  soon  deprived  her. 

The  young  proved  to  be  nearly  ready  to  fly,  and, 
carefully  removing  the  front  of  their  log  cabin,  a 
sight  was  disclosed  such  as  mortal  probably  never 
beheld  before  and  Chickadee  but  rarely. 

Six  black-and  white  heads  were  raised  and  six 
yellow-lined  mouths  opened  in  expressive  appeal  for 
food.  But  this  was  not  all ;  there  was  another  layer 
of  Chickadees  below — how  many  it  was  impossible 
to  say  without  disentangling  a  wad  of  birds  so  com- 
pact that  the  outlines  of  no  one  bird  could  be  dis- 
tinguished. A  piazza,  as  it  were,  was  built  at  the 
Chickadees'  threshold  in  the  shape  of  a  perch  of 
proper  size,  and  beneath,  as  a  life  net,  was  spread  a 
piece  of  mosquito  bar.  Then  I  proceeded  to  indi- 
vidualize the  ball  of  feathers ;  one,  two,  three,  to 
seven  were  counted  without  undue  surprise,  but 
when  an  eighth  and  ninth  were  added,  I  marveled 
at  the  energy  which  had  supplied  so  many  mouths 
with  food,  and  at  the  same  time  wondered  how  many 


58 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 


caterpillars  had  been  devoured  by  this  one  family  of 
birds. 

Not  less  remarkable  than  the  number  of  young — 
and  no  book  that  I  have  consulted  records  so  large 
a  brood — was  their  condition.  Not  only  did  they  all 
appear  lusty,  but  they  seemed  to  be  about  equally 
developed,  the  slight  difference  in  strength  and  size 
which  existed  being  easily  attributable  to  a  differ- 


ence in  age,  some  interval  doubtless  having  elapsed 
between  the  hatching  of  the  first  and  last  egg. 

This  fact  would  have  been  of  interest  had  the 
birds  inhabited  an  open  nest,  or  a  nest  large  enough 
for  them  all  to  have  had  an  equal  opportunity  to 
receive  food;  but  where  only  two  thirds  of  their 
number  could  be  seen  from  above  at  once,  and  where 
a  very  little  neglect  would  have  resulted  fatally,  it 
seems  remarkable  that  one  or  more,  failing  to  receive 
his  share  of  food,  had  not  been  weakened  in  conse- 


THE  CHICKADEE 


59 


quence  and  crushed  to  death  by  more  fortunate 
members  of  the  brood.  Nor  was  their  physical  con- 
dition the  only  surprising  thing  about  the  members 
of  this  Chickadee  family:  each  individual  was  as 
clean  as  though  he  had  been  reared  in  a  nest  alone, 
and  an  examination  of  the  nest  showed  that  it  would 
have  been  passed  as  perfect  by  the  most  scrupulous 
sanitary  inspector.  It  was  composed  of  firmly  pad- 
ded rabbit's  fur,  and,  except  for  the  sheaths  worn 


30.  A  Chickadee  family. 

off  the  growing  feathers  of  the  young  birds,  was 
absolutely  clean.  Later,  I  observed  that  the  excreta 
of  the  young  were  inclosed  in  membranous  sacs, 
which  enabled  the  parents  to  readily  remove  them 
from  the  nest. 

The  last  bird  having  been  placed  in  the  net,  I  at- 
tempted to  pose  them  in  a  row  on  the  perch  before 
their  door.  The  task  reminded  me  of  almost  forgot- 


60  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

ten  efforts  at  building  card  houses,  which,  when 
nearly  completed,  would  be  brought  to  ruin  by  an 
ill-placed  card.  How  many  times  each  Chickadee 
tumbled  or  fluttered  from  his  perch  I  can  not  say. 
The  soft,  elastic  net,  spread  beneath  them,  preserved 
them  from  injury,  and  bird  after  bird  was  returned 
to  his  place  so  little  worse  for  his  fall  that  he  was 
quite  ready  to  try  it  again.  Finally,  eight  birds 
were  induced  to  take  the  positions  assigned  them ; 
then,  in  assisting  the  ninth  to  his  allotted  place,  the 
balance  of  a  bird  on  either  side  would  be  disturbed, 
and  down  into  the  net  they  would  go. 

These  difficulties,  however,  could  be  overcome, 
but  not  so  the  failure  of  the  light  at  the  critical  time, 
making  it  necessary  to  expose  with  a  wide  open  lens 
at  the  loss  of  a  depth  of  focus. 

The  picture  presented,  therefore,  does  not  do  the 
subject  justice.  Nor  can  it  tell  of  the  pleasure  with 
which  each  fledgeling  for  the  first  time  stretched  its 
wings  and  legs  to  their  full  extent,  and  preened  its 
plumage  with  before  unknown  freedom. 

At  the  same  time  they  uttered  a  satisfied  little 
dee-dee-dee,  in  quaint  imitation  of  their  elders. 
When  I  whistled  their  well-known  phe-be  note,  they 
were  at  once  on  the  alert,  and  evidently  expected  to 
be  fed. 

The  birds  were  within  two  or  three  days  of  leav- 
ing the  nest,  and,  the  sitting  over,  the  problem  came 
of  returning  the  flock  to  a  cavity  barely  two  inches 
in  diameter,  the  bottom  of  which  was  almost  filled 
by  one  bird. 

I  at  once  confess  a  failure  to  restore  anything 
like  the  condition  in  which  they  were  found,  and 


THE  CHICKADEE  61 

when  the  front  of  their  dwelling  was  replaced, 
Chickadees  were  overflowing  at  the  door.  If  their 
healthfulness  had  not  belied  the  thought,  I  should 
have  supposed  it  impossible  for  them  to  exist  in  such 
close  quarters. 

A  few  days  later  their  home  was  deserted,  and, 
as  no  other  Chickadees  were  known  to  nest  in  the 
vicinity,  I  imagine  them  to  compose  a  troop  of  birds 
which  is  sometimes  found  in  the  neighborhood. 


THE   LEAST  BITTERN  AND   SOME  OTHER  REED 
INHABITANTS 


Y  experience  with  the  Least  Bittern 
leaves  the  eerie  little  creature  a 
half -solved  mystery,  and  I  think  of 
it  less  as  a  bird  than  as  a  survivor 
of  a  former  geological  period,  when 
birds  still  showed  traits  of  their 
not  distant  reptilian  ancestors. 
The  Bittern's  home  is  in  fresh-water,  cat-tail 
marshes,  and  he  wanders  at  will  through  the  thickly 
set  forest  of  reeds  without  of  necessity  putting  foot 
to  the  water  below  or  flapping  wing  in  the  air  above. 
His  peculiar  mode  of  progression  constitutes  one  of 
his  chief  characteristics.  The  reeds  in  which  he 
lives  generally  grow  in  several  feet  of  water,  far  too 
deep,  therefore,  to  permit  of  his  wading ;  while  his 
secretive  disposition  makes  him  averse  to  appearing 
in  the  open,  except  after  nightfall.  It  is  impossible 
to  fly  through  the  cat-tails,  and  so  the  bird  walks 
and  even  runs  through  them,  stepping  from  stem  to 
stem  with  surprising  agility.  I  had  heard  of  this 
habit,  but  the  description  conveyed  as  little  idea  of 
the  bird's  appearance  as  it  is  feared  this  one  will, 
and  when  for  the  first  time  a  Least  Bittern  was  seen 
striding  off  through  the  reeds  about  three  feet  above 
the  water,  the  performance  was  so  entirely  unlike 


THE  LEAST  BITTERN  63 

anything  I  had  ever  seen  a  bird  do  before,  I  mar- 
veled that  his  acrobatic  powers  had  not  made  him 
famous. 

The  feathered  gymnast's  slender  body — or  per- 
haps one  should  say  neck,  for  the  bird  is  chiefly 
neck  and  head — seemed  to  be  mounted  on  long  stilts, 
with  the  aid  of  which  he  waded  rapidly  through  the 
water,  his  head  shooting  in  and  out  at  each  stride. 

The  Least  Bittern's  notes  appear  to  be  less  known 
than  his  habits.  Nuttall,  that  exceptionally  keen- 
eared  bird  student,  was  familiar  with  them,  but 
most  writers  have  restricted  themselves  to  the  state- 
ment that,  when  flushed,  the  bird  utters  a  low  qua, 
while  some  have  even  said  he  was  voiceless. 

I  should  not  be  in  the  least  surprised  to  learn  that 
this  uncanny  inhabitant  of  the  reeds  had  a  call  fully 
as  remarkable  as  the  vocal  performance  of  his  large 
relative,  the  American  Bittern,  but  thus  far  in  my 
slight  acquaintance  with  him  he  has  been  heard 
to  utter  only  four  notes :  A  soft,  low  coo,  slowly 
repeated  five  or  six  times,  and  which  is  probably 
the  love  song  of  the  male ;  an  explosive  alarm 
note,  quoh ;  a  hissing  hah,  with  which  the  bird 
threatens  a  disturber  of  its  nest ;  and  a  low  tut-tut- 
tut,  apparently  a  protest  against  the  same  kind  of 
intrusion. 

It  was  the  markedly  dovelike  coo  which  first  in- 
troduced me  to  this  species.  With  William  Brew- 
ster  I  was  at  the  Fresh  Pond  marshes,  listening  for 
the  repetition  of  some  strange  calls  which  had  ex- 
cited the  curiosity  of  Cambridge  ornithologists,  and 
which  proved  to  belong  to  a  Florida  Gallinule,* 

*  See  Brewster,  Auk,  vol.  viii,  1891,  p.  1. 


64  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

when  we  heard  the  soft  notes  of  a  Least  Bittern, 
who  soon  rose  from  the  marsh  near  by.     A  few  days 


31.  Least  Bittern's  nesting  site,  showing  reeds  bent  over  nest.     One  of  four 
eggs  can  be  seen. 

later  the  Bittern  was  found  in  full  song — if  the  coo 
be  its  song — in  the  marshes  of  Presque  Isle  in  Erie 


THE  LEAST  BITTERN  65 

Bay ;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  a  desire  to  secure 
specimens  of  this,  to  me,  strange  bird  left  no  oppor- 
tunity to  study  its  habits,  and  the  species  was  not 
again  observed  until  June,  1898,  in  the  northern 
part  of  Cayuga  County,  New  York.  Here,  under 
the  guidance  of  an  observing  local  ornithologist, 
Mr.  E.  G.  Tabor,  an  encounter  was  had  with  a  Least 
Bittern  which  made  a  unique  page  in  my  experience 
as  a  bird  student. 

It  was  on  the  border  of  Otter  Lake,  where  the 
Least  Bitterns  nest  in  small  numbers  in  low  bushes, 
or  a  mass  of  drift,  or  more  often  in  the  fringe  of  cat- 
tails. The  trail  of  a  boat  through  the  reeds  and 
empty  nests,  which  before  had  held  from  three  to 
five  eggs,  marked  the  ill-directed  work  of  the  boy 
oologists  whose  misspent  zeal  has  resulted  in  such 
a  vast  accumulation  of  eggshells  and  such  an  ab- 
sence of  information  about  the  birds  that  laid  them. 
A  visit  to  a  more  distant  part  of  the  lake,  where 
even  thus  early  in  the  year  the  cat-tails  were  five 
feet  above  water  of  over  half  that  depth,  saved  the 
day,  as  far  as  Least  Bitterns  were  concerned.  Pad- 
dling close  to  the  reeds,  a  practiced  eye  could  dis- 
tinguish the  site  of  a  Bittern's  nest,  when  the  nest 
itself  was  invisible,  by  the  bowed  tips  of  the  reeds 
which  the  bird  invariably  bends  over  it.31  The  object 
of  this  habit  is  perhaps  to  aid  in  concealing  the  eggs 
from  an  enemy  passing  overhead— a  Crow,  for  exam- 
ple— an  attack  by  boat  evidently  not  being  taken 
into  consideration. 

Certainly  our  appearance  was  in  the  nature 
of  a  surprise  to  a  pair  of  birds  who  had  just 
completed  their  platformlike  nest  and  were  appar- 


66 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


r/ 


Least  Bitt 


;ds  parted  to  show  eggs. 


ently    discussing    future    steps    in    their    domestic 
affairs. 

As  we  approached,  the  female,  who  even  before 
the  eggs  are  laid  seems  to  have  the  home  love  more 
strongly  developed  than  the  male,  bravely  stuck  to 


THE  LEAST  BITTERN 


67 


her  post,  while  the  male  marched  off  through  the 
reeds  in  the  manner  which  has  been  described  as  so 
remarkable.  When  he  paused,  with  either  foot 
grasping  reeds  several  inches  apart  or  clung  to  a 
single  stalk  with 
both  feet,  he  re- 
sembled a  gigan- 
tic, tailless  Marsh 
Wren. 

The  actions  of 
the  female  were  in- 
teresting in  the 
extreme.  Her  first 
move  was  an  at- 
tempt at  conceal- 
ment through  pro- 
tective mimicry — a 
rare  device  among 
birds.  Stretching 
her  neck  to  the 
utmost,  she  pointed 
her  bill  to  the  ze- 
nith, the  brownish 
marks  on  the  feath- 
ers of  the  throat  be- 
came lines  which, 
separated  by  the 
white  spaces  be- 
tween them,  might  easily  have  passed  for  dried 
reeds,  and  the  bird's  statuelike  pose,  when  almost 
within  reach,  evinced  her  belief  in  her  own  invisi- 
bility.3334 

The  pose   recalled   Hudson's  experience  with   a 


33.  Least  Bittern  on  nest  mimicking  its  sur- 
roundings. 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


wounded  Least  Bittern  (Ardetta  involucris,  a  near 
relative  of  our  bird)  in  the  marshes  of  La  Plata, 
where  a  bird  at  his  feet,  in  the  same  position  as  the 
one  before  me,  was  discovered  only  after  careful 
search,  and  which,  to  the  naturalist's  amazement, 
slowly  revolved  as  he  walked  around  it,  with  the 

presumable  object 
of  keeping  its  pro- 
tectively colored 
breast  turned 
toward  him. 

My  bird,  how- 
ever, was  among 
fresh  reeds,  and 
while  one  can  not 
doubt  the  effec- 
tiveness of  its  at- 
titude and  color, 
when  seen  among 
dead  reeds  or 
grasses,  neither 
were  of  value 
among  its  green 
surroundings. 

With  the  light 
on  the  wrong  side  and  the  reeds  swaying  violently 
in  the  wind,  we  essayed  to  picture  the  bird,  and  the 
best  of  several  attempts  made  under  these  adverse 
conditions  are  here  given. 

Covering  my  hand  with  my  cap  I  held  it  toward 
her,  when,  convinced  that  her  little  trick  had  failed, 
she  adopted  new  tactics,  and  struck  at  me  with  force 
and  rapidity,  which  made  me  thankful  that  my  hand 


34.   Least  Bittern  on  nest  mimicking  its  sur- 
roundings. 


THE   LEAST   BITTERN  69 

was  protected.  Her  bright  yellow  eyes  glared  with 
the  intensity  of  a  snake's,  and  her  reptilelike  appear- 
ance was  increased  by  the  length  and  slenderness  of 
her  head  and  neck.  Her  courage  was  admirable; 
she  not  only  displayed  no  fear,  but  was  actually 
aggressive,  and  with  a  hissing  hah  struck  viciously 
at  my  hand  each  time  it  was  placed  near  the  nest. 
As  I  quickly  retreated  on  each  occasion,  and  at 
length  made  no  further  move  toward  her,  she  de- 
cided to  withdraw,  perhaps  to  join  her  cautious  mate, 
who  from  the  reeds  had  been  uttering  a  warning  iut- 
iut-iut  at  intervals.  Very  slowly  and  watchfully  she 
left  the  nest,  and  when  she  had  advanced  a  few  feet 
through  the  reeds  I  again  ventured  to  touch  her 
platform  home,  putting  my  hand,  however,  under 
it ;  but  the  motion  instantly  attracted  her  attention, 
and,  darting  back  to  her  post,  she  was  on  guard  in  a 
moment.  Then  I  left  her,  retiring  from  the  field 
fairly  vanquished  in  my  first  hand-to-bill  encounter 
with  a  wild  bird.  I  hope  she  laid  a  full  complement 
of  five  eggs  and  from  them  reared  five  birds  worthy 
representatives  of  their  mother. 

A  desire  to  renew  my  acquaintance  with— or  per- 
haps I  should  say  advances  toward — this  unbird- 
like  feathered  biped,  and  to  meet  it  under  conditions 
more  favorable  for  the  camera  hunter,  brought  me 
the  following  year  (June  17, 1899),  to  the  Montezuma 
marshes  at  the  head  of  Cayuga  Lake.  Here  are 
endless  forests  of  cat-tails  in  which  dwell  not  only 
Bitterns,  Long-billed  Marsh  Wrens,  and  Red-winged 
Blackbirds,  but  also  numbers  of  Pied-billed  Grebes 
and  Florida  Gallinules. 


70  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

There  is  a  mystery  about  a  marsh  akin  to  that 
which  impresses  one  in  a  primeval  forest.  The  pos- 
sibilities of  both  seem  limitless.  One  hears  so  much 
and  sees  so  little.  Birds  calling  from  a  distance  of 
only  a  few  yards  may  remain  long  unidentified.  A 
rustling  in  the  reeds  arouses  vague  expectations. 

The  notes  of  marsh-inhabiting  birds  are  in  keep- 
ing with  the  character  of  their  haunts.  They  are 
distinctly  wild  and  strange,  and  often  thrilling.  The 
Rails,  for  example,  all  have  singular,  loud,  startling 
calls.  The  American  Bittern  is  a  famous  marsh 
songster,  but  although  several  of  his  common  names 
are  based  on  his  calls,  it  is  only  recently  that  he  has 
actually  been  seen  uttering  them.  The  Gallinule  re- 
sembles the  hen  in  the  character,  volume,  and  variety 
of  its  notes,  and  to  it  and  not  the  Clapper  Rail 
should  be  given  the  name  "  Marsh  Hen."  Indeed, 
its  European  relative,  from  which  it  can  scarcely 
be  distinguished,  is  known  as  the  Moor  Hen  or 
Water  Hen. 

But  of  all  this  marsh  music  none  to  my  ear  is 
more  singular  than  the  call  of  the  Pied-billed 
Grebe.  It  is  mentioned  in  few  books,  and  has  won 
the  bird  no  such  fame  as  the  Loon's  maniacal  laugh- 
ter has  brought  him,  though  as  a  vocalist  the  Grebe 
fairly  rivals  his  large  cousin.  Like  most  bird  calls 
it  is  indescribable,  but  perhaps  sufficient  idea  of  its 
character  may  be  given  to  lead  to  its  identification 
when  heard.  It  is  very  loud  and  sonorous,  with  a 
cuckoolike  quality,  and  may  be  written  cow-cow- 
cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-uh,  cow-uh,  cow-uh, 
cow-uh.  These  notes  vary  in  number,  and  are  some- 
times followed  by  prolonged  wailing  cows  or  ohs 


THE  LEAST   BITTERN 


71 


almost  human  in  their  expressiveness  of  pain,  fear, 
and  anguish. 

This  is  the  love  song  of  the  male,  and  when  he 
has  won  a  mate  she  joins  him  in  singing,  uttering, 
as  he  calls,  a  rapid  cuk-cuk-cuk,  followed  by  a  slower 
ugh,  ugh,  ugh,  ugh. 

The  Gallinules  were  cackling  in  the  reeds,  where 
a  nest  with  three  hatching  eggs  was  found,  but  not  a 


35.   Young  Red-winged  Blackbirds. 

bird  was  seen.  Red-winged  Blackbirds  were  chat- 
tering with  excitement  as  they  guided  the  first  wing 
strokes  of  their  young,  who  perched  on  the  reeds 
begged  eloquently  for  food  rather  than  for  lessons 
in  flying.35 

In  a  small  island  of  cat-tails  a  pair  of  Grebes  was 
calling,  and  after  the  most  careful  stalking  my  com- 
panion saw  the  female  respond  to  the  voice  of  her 
mate. 


Y2  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

It  was  in  this  island — if  a  patch  of  cat-tails  grow- 
ing in  three  feet  of  water  can  be  called  an  island — 
that  we  found  the  first  two  of  numerous  Least  Bit- 
terns' nests,  and  here  our  camera  studies  were  made. 
These  nests  were  typical  in  form  and  site ;  one  con- 
tained five  and  the  other  four32  eggs,  from  which 
the  birds  had  apparently  departed  as  we  pushed  our 
boat  toward  them. 

Less  than  twenty  minutes  later  we  again  passed 
these  nests  and  found,  to  our  surprise,  that  in  one 
all  four,  and  in  the  other  two  eggs  had  been  punc- 
tured, as  if  by  an  awl.  Here  was  a  mystery  which 
my  companion,  who  was  examining  the  second  nest 
while  I  was  studying  the  first,  quickly  solved  by 
seeing  a  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  actually  make  an 
attack  on  the  remaining  three  eggs,  and  a  little 
later  a  bird  of  the  same  species — perhaps  the  same 
individual,  since  the  Bitterns'  nests  were  not  more 
than  twenty  yards  apart  —  visited  the  first  nest 
to  complete  its  work  on  the  five  already  ruined 
eggs. 

Our  attempt  to  photograph  the  energetic  little 
marauder  failed,  nor  did  we  succeed  in  learning  the 
real  cause  of  its  remarkable  destructiveness.  How- 
ever, the  fact  that  in  one  nest  alone  it  drove  its 
needlelike  bill  into  all  five  eggs  without  pausing  to 
feast  on  their  contents,  would  imply  that  it  was  not 
prompted  by  hunger,  and,  much  against  our  will,  we 
were  forced  to  attribute  the  bird's  actions  to  pure 
viciousness ;  though,  it  is  true,  there  may  have  been 
another  side  to  the  story,  in  which  the  Bittern  was 
the  culprit. 

The  owners  of  the  four  eggs  did  not  return  while 


THE  LEAST  BITTERN 


73 


36.  Least  Bittern  eating  her  eggs. 

we  were  present,  and  the  following  day  we  found 
their  nest  empty — a  mute  protest  against  fate. 

The  female  of  the  second  nest  discovered,  in  which 
only  two  of  the  five  eggs  had  been  injured,  proved  to 
be  a  bird  of  character. 


74  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 

While  we  waited  in  our  boats  at  a  distance  of 
fifteen  feet,  and  with  cameras  erected  on  tripods 


37.  Least  Bittern  on  nest. 


at  a  third  of  the  distance,  she  caine  walking  through 
the  reeds  uttering  occasionally  an  explosive  quoh! 


THE  LEAST  BITTERN  75 

After  circling  about  us  several  times  she  climbed 
to  her  nest,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  investigate  the 
condition  of  its  contents.  Soon  she  gave  evidence  of 
the  possession  of  both  a  philosophic  and  economic 
disposition,  not  to  mention  other  housewifely  quali- 
ties, notably  cleanliness.  Philosophy  she  exhibited 
by  making  the  best  of  things  as  she  found  them ; 
economy  by  carefully  eating36  the  two  broken  eggs, 
which  a  more  thoughtless  bird  would  have  deserted 
or  quickly  discarded;  and  cleanliness  by  carefully 
dropping  over  the  edge  of  the  nest  the  shells  remain- 
ing from  her  peculiar  feast,  and  following  them  by 
bits  of  nest  lining  which  had  been  soiled  by  portions 
of  the  egg.  This  task  accomplished  to  her  satisfac- 
tion, she  gave  further  evidence  of  the  possession  of 
a  well-ordered  mind  by  descending  to  the  water, 
washing  her  bill,  drinking,  and  then  returning  to 
her  remaining  three  eggs,  on  which  she  settled 
herself37  as  complacently  as  though  she  had  met 
with  no  loss,  and  there  we  left  her  in  well-deserved 
privacy. 


TWO  HERONS 

this  age  of  death  and  destruction 
to  all  living  creatures,  which,  be- 
cause of  their  size  or  edible  quali- 
ties, the  so  -  called  sportsman  is 
proud  to  exhibit  as  evidence  of  his 
skill  afield,  it  is  remarkable  that 
there  should  exist  within  twenty 
odd  miles  of  New  York's  City  Hall 
a  colony  of  Herons  which  would  do  credit  to  the 
most  remote  swamp  of  Florida. 

Three  factors  have  combined  to  render  this  rook- 
ery possible :  first,  its  isolation ;  second,  the  habits 
of  its  occupants ;  and  third,  the  protection  which  is 
afforded  it  by  the  owner  of  the  land  on  which  it  is 
situated.  Of  these,  the  first  is  by  far  the  most  im- 
portant, and  I  may  be  pardoned,  therefore,  if  I  do 
not  betray  the  birds'  secret ;  for,  much  as  I  desire  to 
encourage  American  industries,  I  must  on  this  occa- 
sion withhold  information  of  undoubted  value  to 
the  feather  trade. 

The  birds'  habits  contribute  toward  their  preser- 
vation, because  they  are  largely  nocturnal,  "  Night " 
being  the  specific  name  applied  by  the  text-books  to 
this  particular  kind  of  Heron ;  but  to  those  who 
know  him  in  nature,  he  is  generally  spoken  of  as 
"  Quawk,"  this  being  an  excellent  rendering  of  his 
common  call. 
76 


TWO  HERONS  77 

The  Night  Heron  or  Quawk  belongs  among  the 
birds  for  whom  the  setting  sun  marks  the  beginning 
of  a  new  day — a  fact  which  protects  him  from  man 
and  permits  his  existence  in  numbers  where  others 
of  his  family  are  rarely  seen.  Doubtless  many  of 
the  residents  of  Heronville  know  their  feathered 
neighbors  only  as  a  voice  from  the  night,  which 
comes  to  them  when  the  birds,  in  passing  over,  utter 
their  loud  and  startling  call. 

Finally,  to  the  protecting  influences  of  a  love  for 
seclusion  and  darkness  must  be  added  the  unusual 
position  assumed  by  the  proprietor  of  the  land,  who 
will  not  permit  any  one  to  kill  the  birds,  and, 
stranger  still,  does  not  kill  them  himself ! 

Thus  it  happens  that  any  day  in  May  or  June, 
the  months  during  which  the  Herons  are  at  home, 
one  may  leave  the  crowded  streets  of  New  York  and 
within  an  hour  or  so  enter  an  equally  crowded  but 
quite  different  kind  of  town. 

If  after  leaving  the  train  you  secure  the  same 
guide  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  have,  your  way  will 
lead  over  shaded  roads,  pleasant  fields,  and  quiet 
woodland  paths,  and,  if  the  sun  is  well  up  in  the 
trees,  you  may  enter  the  outskirts  of  the  rookery 
and  be  wholly  unaware,  unless  you  approach  from 
the  leeward,  that  between  two  and  three  thousand 
Herons  are  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  you. 

One  may  gain  a  far  better  idea  of  Heron  life, 
however,  by  visiting  the  rookery  while  the  foliage 
is  still  glistening  with  dew.  Then,  from  a  distance, 
a  chorus  of  croaks  may  be  heard  from  the  young 
birds  as  they  receive  what,  in  effect,  is  their  supper. 
Old  birds  are  still  returning  from  fishing  trips,  and 


78  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

the  froglike  monotone  of  the  young  is  broken  by 
the  sudden  quawks  of  their  parents. 

The  rookery  is  in  a  low  part  of  the  woods  which 
evidently  is  flooded  early  in  the  year,  a  fact  which 
may  have  influenced  the  Herons  in  their  selection 
of  the  locality  as  a  nesting  site.  At  the  time  of 
our  visit  the  swamp  maples,  in  which  the  nests  are 
placed,  were  densely  undergrown  with  ferns,  and 
as  we  approached  the  whitened  vegetation,  which 
clearly  marked  the  limits  of  the  rookery,  a  number 
of  Herons  with  squawks  of  alarm  left  the  vicinity 
of  their  nests,  and  soon  the  rookery  was  in  an  up- 
roar. The  common  quaivTc  note  was  often  heard, 
but  many  of  the  calls  were  distinctly  galline  in 
character  and  conveyed  the  impression  that  we  had 
invaded  a  henroost. 

The  trees  in  which  the  nests  were  placed  are  very 
tall  and  slender,  mere  poles  some  of  them,  with  a 
single  nest  where  the  branches  fork;  while  those 
more  heavily  limbed  had  four,  five,38  and  even  six  of 
the  platforms  of  sticks,  which  with  Herons  serve  as 
nests,  but  in  only  a  single  instance  was  one  nest 
placed  directly  below  another.  A  conservative  count 
yielded  a  total  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  nests, 
all  within  a  circle  about  one  hundred  yards  in  diam- 
eter, nearly  every  suitable  tree  holding  one  or  more, 
the  lowest  being  about  thirty  feet  from  the  ground, 
the  highest  at  least  eighty  feet  above  it. 

While  the  limy  deposits  and  partially  digested 
fish  dropped  by  the  birds  seemed  not  to  affect  the 
growth  of  the  lower  vegetation,  it  had  a  marked 
influence  on  certain  of  the  swamp  maples,  the  devel- 
opment of  the  trees  which  held  a  number  of  nests 


TWO  HERONS  79 

being  so  retarded  that,  although  it  was  June  13th, 
they  were  as  yet  only  in  blossom.38  The  compara- 
tive absence  of  foliage  permitted  one  to  have  a  far 
better  view  of  what  was  going  on  above  than  if 
the  trees  had  been  thickly  leaved,  and  on  entering 


38.  Five  Herons'  nests  in  swamp  inaple,  at  an  average  height  of  seventy 
feet.     The  upper  right-hand  nest  with  young  shown  in  Nos.  41  and  42. 

the  rookery  our  attention  was  at  once  attracted  by 
the  nearly  grown  Herons,  who,  old  enough  to  leave 
the  nest,  had  climbed  out  on  the  adjoining  limbs. 
There,  silhouetted  against  the  sky,  they  crouched  in 
family  groups  of  two,  three,  and  four.39 

Other  broods,  inhabitants  of  more  thickly  leaved 


80 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


trees,  made  known  their  presence  above  by  disgorg- 
ing a  half -digested  eel,  which  dropped  with  a  thud 
at  our  feet  and  occasionally  nearer,  suggesting  the 
advisability  of  carrying  an  umbrella.  The  vegeta- 
tion beneath  the  well-populated  trees  was  as  white 


39.  A  view  in  the  Heron  rookery,  looking  upward  from  the  ground  to  nests 
and  young,  about  eighty  feet  above. 

as  though  it  had  been  liberally  daubed  with  white- 
wash, and  the  ground  was  strewn  with  blue-green 
eggshells  neatly  broken  in  two  across  the  middle ; 
fish,  principally  eels,  in  various  stages  of  digestion 


TWO  HERONS 


81 


and  decay ;  and  the  bodies  of  young  birds  who  had 
met  with  an  untimely  death  by  falling  from  above. 
It  was  not  altogether  a  savory  place ! 

Seating  ourselves  at  the  base  of  an  unoccupied 
tree,  we  had  not  long  to  wait  before  the  normal  life 
of  the  rookery  was  resumed.  The  young,  who  while 
we  were  observed  had  been  silent,  now  began  to 
utter  a  singular,  froglike  kik-kik-kik  in  chorus,  and 


40.  Black-crowned  Night  Herons  feeding.     Telephoto, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 


2  at  a  distance  of 


the  old  birds  one  by  one  returned.  When  food  was 
brought  an  increased  outcry  was  heard  from  the 
expectant  youngsters  about  to  be  fed.  At  intervals 
a  resounding  thump  announced  the  fall  of  some  too 
eager  bird,  but,  in  the  cases  which  we  investigated, 
the  Heron,  if  fairly  well  grown,  seemed  to  be  little 
the  worse  for  his  tumble  of  from  fifty  to  seventy  feet, 
7 


82 


BIRD   STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 


and  with  lowered  head  ran  through  the  undergrowth 
with  surprising  quickness.  With  those  which  were 
younger,  however,  the  mortality  had  evidently  been 
great,  and,  seeing  the  dozens  of  dead  birds  on  the 
ground  beneath  the  nest  trees  from  which  they  had 


41.  Young  Night  Herons  in  nest.     Same  as  No.  42. 

fallen,  one  questioned  whether  this  habit  of  nesting 
high  in  trees  had  not,  for  protective  reasons,  been 
recently  acquired  by  a  species  the  young  of  which 
would  seem  much  more  at  home  nearer  the  ground. 

It  was  with  a  delightful  sense  of  companionship 
with  the  birds  that  I  observed  them  going  and  com- 
ing, feeding  their  young,  or  resting  after  the  night's 


TWO  HERONS 


83 


labors,  wholly  undisturbed  by  my  presence.  Almost 
I  seemed  to  be  a  guest  of  the  rookery,  and  I  longed 
for  power  to  interpret  the  notes  and  actions  of  the 
birds  so  abundant  about  me. 

So  I  should  like  to  have  passed  the  day  with 
them,  becoming  for  the  time  being  a  Heron  myself ; 


42.  Young  Night  Heron 


Nesting  tree  shown  in  No.  38. 


but  the  desire  to  picture  the  birds  was  stronger  than 
the  wish  to  be  a  Heron,  and  the  situation  was  con- 
sidered from  the  standpoint  of  the  bird  photog- 
rapher. 

The  rookery  proved  to  be  a  difficult  subject.  No 
single  view  would  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  its 
appearance,  and  I  therefore  selected  representative 
tree  tops  and  photographed  their  nests  and  young 
birds.  A  visit  to  a  neighboring  pond  resulted  in 


84 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


securing,  with  the  aid  of  a  telephoto,  a  picture40  of 
two  adult  birds  feeding  well  out  of  gunshot,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  climbers  I  reached  the  upper 
branches  of  a  tree  some  seventy  feet  in  height  con- 
taining five  nests  whose  contents  ranged  from  eggs 
to  nearly  grown  young.  With  the  ball-and-socket 

'       ;  '  V-  • '  clamp  the  camera  was 

fastened  to  favoring 
limbs,  and  after  three 
hours'  work  several 
satisfactory  pictures  of 
young  in  the  nest  and 
on  the  adjoining  branch- 
es were  secured.41"43  Al- 
though well  able  to  de- 
fend themselves,  the 
young  assumed  no  such 
threatening  attitudes  as 
the  American  Bittern 
strikes  when  alarmed, 
from  which  perhaps  we 
may  argue  that  they  are 
happily  ignorant  of  the 
dangers  which  beset 
their  ground-nesting  re- 
lative. 

As  the  sun  crept  up- 
ward and  the  last  fishers 
returned,  the  calls  of  both  old  and  young  birds  were 
heard  less  and  less  often,  and  by  ten  o'clock  night 
had  fallen  on  the  rookery  and  the  birds  were  all 
resting  quietly.  Four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  was 
evidently  early  morning,  and  at  this  hour  the  birds 


43.  Young  Night  Herons  on  branche 
near  nest,  seventy  feet  from  th 
ground. 


TWO   HERONS  85 

first  began  to  leave  the  rookery  for  their  fishing 
grounds.  Some  went  toward  the  north,  others  to 
the  south,  east  or  west ;  each  bird  no  doubt  having 
clearly  in  mind  some  favorite  shore,  perhaps  a  dozen 
miles  away,  where  he  before  had  had  good  luck 
a-fishing ;  and  of  all  the  varied  phases  of  rookery  life 
the  thought  of  this  regular  nightly  expedition  of 
hundreds  of  winged  fishers,  is  to  me  the  most  at- 
tractive. 

Our  largest  Heron  as  well  as  our  largest  bird  is 
the  Great  Blue.  "Crane"  he  is  popularly  called; 
but,  aside  from  other  differences,  the  bird's  habit  of 
folding  its  neck  back  on  its  shoulders,  when  on  the 
wing,  will  distinguish  it  from  true  Cranes,  who  fly 
with  neck  extended  to  the  utmost. 

The  Great  Blue  Heron  is  not  edible,  but  its  size 
makes  it  a  desirable  prize  to  most  gunners  and  it  is 
considered  an  especially  fit  mark  for  a  rifle.  The 
temptation  is  strong  to  condemn  as  an  outlaw  the 
man  who  kills  one  of  these  noble  birds  for  what  he 
terms  sport,  or  perhaps  for  the  purpose  of  what  he 
would  call  having  it  "set  up."  He,  however,  is  act- 
ing according  to  his  light,  which  is  quite  as  bright 
as  that  which  shines  for  most  of  his  neighbors.  The 
Heron  is  exceedingly  wild,  and  its  capture  is  elo- 
quent evidence  of  the  hunter's  prowess,  while  his 
desire  to  have  its  stuffed  skin  adorn  his  home  is, 
from  his  point  of  view,  positively  commendable. 
That  the  bird  is  infinitely  more  valuable  alive  than 
dead,  that  its  presence  adds  an  element  to  the  land- 
scape more  pleasing  to  some  than  could  be  imparted 
by  any  work  of  man,  and  that  in  depriving  others 


86  BIRD   STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

of  the  privilege  of  observing  its  singularly  stately 
grace  of  pose  and  motion  he  is  selfish  beyond  expres- 
sion, does  not  even  vaguely  occur  to  this  so-called 
"sportsman,"  who  belongs  in  the  class  to  whom  a 
majestic  cliff  is  a  quarry,  a  noble  tree,  lumber.  Until 
he  has  been  educated  to  properly  value  the  beauties 
of  Nature,  or  at  least  realize  the  rights  of  others  in 
them,  he  must  be  restrained  by  law,  to  the  force  of 
which  even  he  is  not  blind. 

Only  the  Great  Blue  Heron's  extreme  wariness 
and  habit  of  frequenting  shores  and  marshes  where 
it  can  command  an  extended  view  of  its  surround- 
ings has  preserved  it  from  extinction ;  but  when 
nesting  it  is  compelled  to  visit  woodlands  where  its 
human  enemies  have  better  opportunities  to  ap- 
proach it,  and  its  only  chajice  for  safety  during  the 
breeding  season  is  to  select  a  retreat  remote  from 
the  home  of  man.  For  this  reason  Great  Blue  Heron 
rookeries  are  exceedingly  uncommon  in  more  settled 
parts  of  the  bird's  range,  and  north  of  Florida  I 
have  seen  their  nests  in  only  one  locality. 

It  was  the  week  after  my  visit  to  the  Night 
Herons  that,  in  northern  Cayuga  County,  New 
York,  I  was  led  by  a  local  ornithologist  through  one 
of  the  heaviest  pieces  of  timber  I  have  ever  seen 
north  of  a  .primeval  tropical  forest,  in  search  of  a 
Great  Blue  Heron  rookery  which  he  knew  to  exist, 
and  only  my  confidence  in  his  woodsmanship  gave 
me  courage  to  follow  him  over  fallen  trees  and 
through  the  season's  dense  undergrowth,  from  which 
our  passage  raised  such  a  host  of  mosquitoes  that 
every  step  was  a  battle.  If  the  vicious  little  insects 
had  lived  only  to  protect  the  Herons,  they  could  not 


TWO  HERONS  87 

have  disputed  our  progress  more  valiantly,  and  on 
reaching  the  birds'  stronghold,  where  the  compara- 
tive absence  of  undergrowth  deprived  our  winged 
foes  of  shelter,  I  congratulated  myself  on  what,  for 
the  moment,  seemed  to  be  no  insignificant  feat. 

The  eleven  nests  which  my  guide  had  seen  on  a 
previous  occasion  were  found  occupying  their  for- 
mer positions,  at  least  one  hundred  feet  from  the 
ground  in  dead  trees,  one  of  which  held  five  of  the 
eleven.  During  the  many  years  which  the  birds 
have  nested  in  the  place  their  number  has  not 
varied,  and  one  wonders  what  becomes  of  the  from 
thirty  to  forty  young  who  doubtless  each  year  leave 
the  parental  trees.  No  other  Herons  of  this  species 
are  known  to  nest  in  the  vicinity,  and  it  is  not  prob- 
able that  the  progeny  of  each  year  would  seek  a 
nesting  site  in  some  far  distant  rookery ;  conse- 
quently, as  an  alternative  explanation,  we  can  only 
suppose  that  the  yea.rly  product  of  the  rookery  bal- 
ances its  losses  by  death. 

The  young  birds  were  now  nearly  half  grown, 
but,  unlike  the  Night  Herons,  they  did  not  venture 
outside  their  nests,  from  which  they  uttered  harsh 
croaks  in  evident  supplication  to  their  parents  for 
food.  The  sight  of  the  trees  in  which  the  nests 
were  placed  effectually  controlled  whatever  ambi- 
tions I  had  entertained  toward  camera  studies  at 
short  range,  and  I  contented  myself  by  making  tele- 
photos  from  the  ground,  in  one  of  which  an  adult 
bird  and  two  nests,  each  with  a  young  bird  appear- 
ing above  its  edge,  may  be  seen.44 

Time  was  lacking  in  which  to  observe  these  birds, 
and  the  value  of  my  visit  to  their  retreat  is  not  to 


88 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


be  expressed  in  words.     The  wildness  of  their  home 
seemed  in  perfect  accord  with  their  nature,  and  their 


44.  Looking  upward  from  ground  to  nests  and  young  and  adult  bird  of 
Great  Blue  Heron  at  a  height  of  over  one  hundred  feet.     Telephoto. 

apparent  safety  from  intrusion  brought  a  sense  of 
satisfaction  which  colors  my  memory  of  the  whole 
experience. 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  EOOST 

CONTRIBUTING  little  to  the  ma- 
terial wealth  of  the  nation,  the 
Hackensack  marshes  of  north- 
ern New  Jersey  are  usually  re- 
garded as  "  waste  land."  By  the 
farmer  they  are  termed  "  salt 
medders,"  and  their  waving 
grasses  are  of  value  to  him  only  as  "  bedding "  for 
cattle.  In  winter  the  muskrat  hunter  reaps  a  har- 
vest of  pelts  there.  The  down  of  the  "  cat-tails "  is 
gathered  for  cushion  stuffing,  and  the  bladed  leaves 
for  chair  bottoms.  To  the  gunner  they  are  the 
resort  of  Ducks,  Snipe,  Rail,  and  Reedbirds,  which 
each  year  visit  them  in  decreasing  numbers ;  while 
to  the  thousands  who  daily  pass  them  on  the  encir- 
cling railroads  they  are  barren  and  uninteresting. 
But  if  beauty  is  a  sufficient  cause  for  being,  then 
these  marshes  may  claim  a  right  to  existence. 

In  preglacial  times  this  region  was  probably  for- 
ested, but  now  the  forest  is  buried  beneath  the  drift 
of  the  glacier  which  deposited  fragments  of  Palisade 
and  Orange  Mountain  trap  rock  on  Staten  Island. 
During  the  depression  of  the  land  which  occurred  as 
the  ice  gradually  receded,  the  waters  of  the  sea 
doubtless  passed  up  here  and  the  meadow  was  a 
larger  "  Newark  Bay."  Then  commenced  their  slow 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  91 

filling  up  by  the  silt  brought  down  by  the  Hacken- 
sack  River.  The  river  has  preserved  a  right  of 
way,  but  the  bay  has  given  place  to  a  sea  of  reeds 
and  grasses. 

On  a  bright  August  morning  I  mount  a  spur  of 
trap  rock  which  reaches  out  from  the  western  base 
of  the  Palisades,  and  from  this  elevation  have  an 
uninterrupted  view  over  the  meadows.  The  cool,  in- 
vigorating air  foretells  the  approach  of  autumn ;  it 
is  brilliantly  clear.  The  Orange  hills  stand  out 
with  the  distinctness  of  Western  mountains.  The 
sun  is  at  my  back,  and  the  light  shows  the  meadows 
to  the  best  advantage.  At  this  distance  I  get  the 
effect  of  only  the  masses  of  color ;  tracts  of  yellow- 
ish green  meadow  grass  tinged  with  copper,  and  in 
places  thickly  sprinkled  with  the  white  flowers  of 
the  water  hemlock  and  water  parsnip ;  streaks  of 
light  green  wild  rice,  and  sharply  denned  areas  of 
dark  green  cat-tail  flags.  The  grass  grows  on  the 
drier  land,  the  wild  rice  in  the  small  sloughs  and 
creeks  which  are  bordered  by  the  flags.  In  the 
spring  the  wind  blows  the  pollen  from  the  cat-tail 
blossoms,  and  a  shifting  greenish  vapor  floats  over 
the  marsh  ;  in  the  autumn  a  heavy  westerly  wind 
raises  the  seed- bearing  down  high  in  the  air,  carries 
it  over  the  Palisades,  across  the  Hudson,  and  it  de- 
scends like  a  fall  of  fleecy  snow  on  wondering  New 
York. 

The  marsh  is  a  vast  arena  inclosed  by  the  Pali- 
sades and  Passaic  hills ;  it  is  a  great  plain,  with  blue 
stretches  of  the  winding  river  appearing  here  and 
there,  and  the  haystacks  are  the  huts  of  aborigines. 
I  half  close  my  eyes,  and  it  is  a  copper-yellow  sea. 


92  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

The  grasses  roll  in  undulating  waves,  capped  by  a 
white  crest  of  parsnip  and  hemlock  blossoms ;  the 
dark  irregular  patches  of  flags  are  the  shadows  of 
clouds,  the  light  streaks  of  wild  rice  are  shoals,  a 
hovering  Marsh  Hawk  is  a  Gull.  A  stately  white- 
winged  schooner 45  comes  up  the  river ;  her  hull  is 
hidden  by  the  meadow  grasses ;  she  is  sailing  through 
the  sea  of  my  fancy. 

This  is  an  impressionist's  view  of  the  meadows. 
Now  let  us  leave  our  rocky  lookout  and  examine 
them  more  in  detail.  The  meadow  we  are  leaving  is 
a  meadow  of  all  summer  ;  the  one  we  are  approach- 
ing is  a  meadow  clad  in  all  the  glory  of  its  August 
flowers.  One  might  think  Nature  was  holding  a 
flower  show  here,  so  gorgeous  is  the  display.  The 
railway  track  at  the  edge  of  the  marsh  is  apparently 
an  endless  aisle  bordered  by  a  rich  exhibit  of  flowers. 
Clusters  of  thoroughwort  and  purple  loose-strife 
grow  so  abundantly  they  give  color  to  the  fore- 
ground, through  which  wild  sunflowers  make  streaks 
of  gold.  There  are  solid  beds  of  purple  asters  on 
the  drier  land,  and  delicate  snow-white  saggitarias 
in  the  sloughs.  Jewel  flowers  sparkle  through  the 
flags,  and  convolvulus  hangs  from  the  reeds,  its  own 
foliage  scarce  showing,  or,  growing  with  the  fra- 
grant climbing  hempweed,  it  forms  banks  of  dense 
vegetation.  The  scarlet  lobelia  darts  upward  like  a 
tongue  of  flame,  startling  in  its  intense  brilliancy. 
There  are  burnet,  vervain,  gerardia,  and  running 
groundnut.  But  it  is  the  marsh46  mallow  which, 
more  than  any  other  flower,  gives  beauty  to  the 
meadow.  It  grows  here  with  wasteful  luxuriance, 
and  the  dark  masses  of  flags  serve  as  a  frame  for 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST 


93 


this  floral  picture.  Out  in  the  marsh  it  grows  in 
equal  profusion  ;  the  meadow  is  hung  with  small 
pink  lanterns,  as  if  for  a  fete.  A  single  flower  of 
the  marsh  mallow  commands  the  attention  of  the 
most  unobservant,  and  when  growing  in  abundance 
it  excites  enthusiastic  admiration. 


46.    Marsh  mallows. 

Nor  is  the  animal  life  of  the  marsh  less  interest- 
ing than  its  flora.  Meadow  mice  nest  beneath  the 
haycocks.  Were  it  not  for  the  minks  and  Hawks 
which  prey  on  them,  they  might  become  a  scourge 
throughout  the  surrounding  country.  Muskrats  are 


94 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


living  in  peaceful  security  in  their  snug  summer 
homes,  hollowed  from  the  banks  of  the  streams. 
They  are  the  true  villagers  here,  and  pass  the  win- 
ter in  icy  huts,  like  Eskimos.  Out  in  the  grasses 
Short-eared  Owls  are  hiding.  Their  day  begins 
when  the  sun  disappears  behind  the  Orange  hills ; 

then  one  may  hear 
the  "  quawk "  of 
the  Night  Heron. 
Red-winged  Black - 
/  /  /  birds  nest  here,  and 

in  the  autumn  they 
gather  in  great 
flocks  and  feed  on 
the  wild  rice. 

Long-  billed 
Marsh  Wrens  — 
small,  nervous,  ex- 
citable bits  of 
feathered  life— are 
abundant  in  the 
flags,  and  to  them 
they  attach  their 
large  woven  nests. 
Except  for  a  harsh, 
scolding  note  they 
are  silent  now,  but 
earlier  in  the  year 
the  marsh  is  mu- 
sical with  their  rip- 
pling songs.  The  fervor  of  the  love  season  over- 
comes their  fondness  for  the  dark  recesses  of  the 
flags,  and,  singing,  they  rise  into  the  air  as  if  driven 


47.  Wild  rice. 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  95 

upward  by  the  mine  of  melody  which  explodes  with- 
in them. 

Swamp  Sparrows  are  common,  and  their  clear 
trill  is  one  of  the  few  August  songs.  Bobolinks, 
traveling  in  disguise  and  under  the  assumed  name 
of  "  Reedbird,"  pause  here  to  feed  on  the  ripening 
wild  rice.47  Some  of  them  have  not  yet  completed 
their  change  of  costume  and  appear  in  a  spotted  suit 
of  black  and  yellow.  Occasionally  one  hears  a  sup- 
pressed burst  of  the  "  mad  music  "  of  June,  but  their 
common  note  is  a  metallic  chink.  At  night  this 
note  is  heard  from  high  in  the  air,  as  the  birds  con- 
tinue their  journey  to  the  cultivated  rice  fields  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  there  to  remain  until 
September  or  October,  when  they  leave  for  their 
winter  home  south  of  the  Amazon. 

The  Sora  Rails,  beloved  of  sportsmen  and  epi- 
cures, are  also  attracted  to  the  marshes  by  the  wild 
rice.  On  their  arrival  in  early  August  they  are  in- 
deed "  as  thin  as  a  rail,"  but  an  abundance  of  food 
soon  rounds  their  bodies  into  comparative  plump- 
ness. The  1st  of  September  is  a  black  day  in  their 
calendar.  Then  they  are  outlawed,  a  price  is  set  on 
their  bodies,  and  at  high  tide  each  day  during  this 
sad  month  one  sees  numerous  puffs  of  smoke  arise 
from  the  tall  grasses  and  dull  reports  come  boom- 
ing over  the  marsh  with  fateful  frequency. 

But  the  characteristic  birds  of  the  marshes  at  this 
season  are  Swallows.  They  outnumber  many  times 
all  the  rest  of  the  marsh  birds  together — in  fact,  are 
present  in  such  myriads  that  their  gatherings  are 
one  of  the  most  interesting  and  impressive  phenom- 
ena of  the  bird  life  of  this  region. 


96  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

Five  species  are  represented.  Named  in  the  or- 
der of  their  abundance  they  are  the  Tree,  Bank, 
Barn,  Eave,  and  Rough- winged  Swallows.  The  last 
are  comparatively  rare,  while  the  Tree  Swallows  are 
so  in  excess  of  all  the  species  named  that  the  follow- 
ing remarks  relate  largely  to  them  alone. 

Although  Tree  or  White-breasted  Swallows  nest 
locally  throughout  North  America,  from  the  table- 
land of  Mexico  to  Labrador  and  Alaska,  there  are 
but  few  instances  of  their  breeding  in  the  lower 
Hudson  River  valley,  where  they  appear  only  as 
migrants  or  transient  visitants.  They  arrive  from 
the  south  early  in  April,  and  their  northward  migra- 
tion is  not  concluded  until  about  June  1st.  During 
June  they  are  rarely  seen,  but  between  the  1st  and 
the  5th  of  July  they  begin  their  journey  to  their 
winter  homes — a  movement  which  inaugurates  the 
fall  migration. 

This  stage  of  their  journey  takes  them  only  to 
certain  marshes,  which  become  stations  on  their  line 
of  travel  where  countless  numbers  of  their  kind, 
impelled  by  the  flocking  impulse,  gather  to  roost 
in  the  reeds.  Their  numbers  increase  steadily 
through  July  and  August,  the  maximum  of  abun- 
dance being  reached  about  September  1st ;  then  they 
gradually  become  less  numerous,  and  by  October  10th 
comparatively  few  remain,  though  if  the  weather  be 
favorable,  they  may  be  observed  daily  until  late  in 
the  month. 

Throughout  this  period— from  July  to  October — 
the  marsh  is  used  only  as  a  dormitory,  the  reeds  evi- 
dently offering  suitable  perches  to  these  weak-footed 
birds,  who  in  the  morning  radiate  throughout  the  sur- 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  97 

rounding  country  and  in  the  evening  return  to  the 
marsh  to  sleep.  In  the  evening  they  fly  low,  and 
the  altitude  and  time  of  their  flight  make  them  con- 
spicuous. In  the  morning  they  fly  high,  as  though 
bound  to  some  distant  feeding  ground,  and  at  so 
early  an  hour  that  they  usually  escape  observation. 
The  evening  flight,  therefore,  is  generally  considered 


3: 


-h     i    t  M    -fr 


i ^ 


48.  "  Bird  notes  "—  Tree  Swallows. 

as  truly  migratory,  when,  in  fact,  the  same  birds 
doubtless  pass  over  a  given  locality  night  after 
night,  perhaps  for  weeks,  in  returning  to  their 
roosts  in  the  marshes. 

These  evening  flights  begin  about  two  hours  and 
a  half  before  sunset,  when  the  birds,  after  resting 
during  the  late  forenoon  and  early  afternoon,  usu- 
ally on  some  telegraph  wire,48  begin  to  wheel  and 
8 


98  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

circle  over  the  fields  in  pursuit  of  their  evening 
meal,  when  one  might  imagine  they  were  resident 
birds,  but  observation  will  show  that  the  general 
trend  of  their  movement  is  toward  the  roost. 

This  continues  for  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half, 
a  cloudy  evening  hastening  their  actions,  when  their 
flight  becomes  more  direct.  Few  birds  pause  to  feed, 
but  hurry  on  to  the  roosting  places,  and  as  the  light 
fades  the  last  birds  rush  through  the  gloom  with 
arrowy  speed  and  directness.  The  birds  pass  in 
straggling  flocks,  and  periods  of  abundance  are  suc- 
ceeded by  intervals  of  scarcity,  as  though  the  indi- 
viduals which  had  been  associated  during  the  day 
were  journeying  home  together. 

Thus  the  Swallow's  evening  flight  may  be  ob- 
served throughout  the  region  surrounding  the 
marshes ;  even  in  New  York  city  they  may  be  seen 
feeding  above  the  houses,  and  after  sunset  flocks  of 
swift-flying  birds  are  often  confused  by  the  tele- 
graph wires,  which,  however,  their  dexterity  of  wing 
permits  them  to  pass  without  serious  harm. 

In  the  marshes  the  first  birds  are  seen  about  two 
hours  before  sunset.  Many  follow  the  course  of  the 
river,  and  if  one  be  at  its  border  splash  after  splash 
is  heard  as  the  birds  dip  lightly  into  the  water,  fol- 
lowed by  soft  fluffs  as  arising  from  the  stream  they 
shake  their  plumage.  Soon  the  air  is  filled  with 
Swallows,  all  streaming  toward  the  roost  with  in- 
creasing swiftness. 

Many  birds,  however,  as  though  waiting  for  some 
tardy  comrades,  rest  by  the  way,  perching  on  tele- 
graph wires  should  they  cross  the  marsh,  or  when 
these  are  wanting,  on  the  tips  of  the  reeds.  They 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  99 

invariably  face  the  wind,  and  when  it  is  from  the 
west  the  last  rays  of  the  sun  striking  their  white 
breasts  make  them  appear  like  snowy  flowers  crown- 
ing the  reeds.  Suddenly,  with  a  rush,  they  whirl 
onward  to  the  roost. 

Thus  far  the  exact  location  of  this  roost  has  de- 
fied my  search.  I  have,  however,  roughly  denned 
the  bounds  of  that  section  of  the  marsh  in  which  it 
is  placed  by  observation  stands  at  which  the  Swal- 
lows flew  north  and  south  respectively,  and  some- 
where between  the  two  I  still  hope  to  discover  the 
Swallows'  sleeping  haunts. 

The  following  description  of  their  departure 
from  the  marshes  in  the  morning  is  abstracted  from 
my  journal,  under  date  of  August  15,  1886  :  "  A  cool, 
clear  morning;  with  a  light  northwesterly  wind.  I 
reached  the  marshes  shortly  before  five  o'clock, 
when  they  appeared  to  be  deserted,  not  a  Swallow 
being  in  sight.  At  two  minutes  of  five  the  first 
birds  were  observed,  then  flock  after  flock  they 
came  until  at  five  the  air  was  filled  with  hurrying 
forms,  flying  at  varying  altitudes  toward  the 
north. 

"  Suddenly,  from  the  meadows  near  me  there 
arose  a  vast  cloud  of  Swallows,  doubtless  birds 
which  had  come  from  farther  south  in  the  marsh 
before  my  arrival.  Steadily  they  mounted  upward, 
until  having  attained  a  height  where  with  a  strong 
glass  they  appeared  faint  dots  against  the  sky,  they 
slowly  winged  their  way  northward. 

"  All  the  time  the  meadows  were  alive  with  birds 
feeding  in  every  direction ;  gradually  they  passed  to 
the  north,  when  another  huge  flock  arose  from  the 


100 


BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 


marsh,  and  after  gaining  an  immense  height  disap- 
peared, this  time  toward  the  east. 

"As  the  sun  rose  over  the  Palisades  few  birds 
were  on  the  wing,  but  great  flocks  were  perched  in 
the  reeds  on  the  banks  of  the  creek,  and  as  in  my 
canoe  I  drifted  slowly 
up  to  them,  they  seemed 
unmindful  of  my  pres- 
ence, when,  as  though  at 
a  signal,  they  arose  as 
one  bird,  and  after  hov- 
ering lightly  overhead 
returned  to  the  reeds. 

"The  tide  was  low, 
and  along  the  shore  sev- 
eral Sora  Rail  were  feed- 
ing, and,  as  carried  by 
the  tide  I  floated  noise- 
lessly by,  they  paused  in 
their  search  for  food,  and 
with  tails  upraised  re- 
garded me  with  evident 
astonishment.  A  mink 
approached  the  shores  of 
a  small  inflowing  stream, 
hesitated,  then  plunged 
in,  crossed,  and  disap- 
peared in  the  tall  grasses  on  the  opposite  side.  The 
air  was  vocal  with  the  calls  of  Red- winged  Black- 
birds, the  chink  of  Bobolinks,  and  the  rattle  of 
Swamp  Sparrows. 

"  On  a  reed-grown  point  below  was  another  great 
army  of  Swallows.     With  surprising  regularity  a 


49.  Tree  Swallows  in  tree. 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  101 

detachment  left  it  every  fifteen  minutes ;  thus,  birds 
left  at  6,  6.15,  6.30,  and  6.45,  when  the  reeds  were 
deserted.  The  departing  birds  did  not  arise  alone, 
but  the  entire  flock  arose  at  once,  then  divided  into 
two  flocks,  one  of  which  flew  northward  while  the 
other  returned  to  the  reeds.  Many  of  the  departing 
birds  alighted  on  the  reeds  farther  up  the  creek; 
their  numbers  constantly  received  additions  from 
the  ranks  of  passing  birds,  and  thus  new  flocks  were 
formed. 

"  At  eight  o'clock  the  last  Swallows  had  left  the 
reeds  in  my  vicinity,  but  birds  were  constantly  pass- 
ing toward  the  north,  and  this  straggling  flight  con- 
tinued until  nine  o'clock,  when  again  the  marshes 
appeared  deserted." 

Subsequent  observations  have  been  made  largely 
from  a  road  crossing  the  marsh,  the  telegraph  and 
electric-light  wires  which  border  it  being  the  resting 
place  of  vast  numbers  of  Swallows,  both  at  night 
and  in  the  morning.  Particularly  do  they  throng 
the  wires  near  the  creek,  which  flows  north  and 
south  through  the  marsh,  and  which,  it  is  inter- 
esting to  observe,  forms  a  natural  highway  for  the 
Swallows  as  they  go  to  and  from  their  roosts. 

On  the  sides  of  this  road  are  several  small  maple 
trees,  to  which  the  Swallows  often  resort  in  such 
numbers  that  their  foliage  trembles  as  though  in  a 
strong  breeze,  it  not  being  the  birds'  object  to  perch 
in  the  trees,  but  to  flutter  among  the  dew-laden 
leaves,  and  apparently  bathe  in  the  moisture  they 
contain,  while  between  the  baths  they  rest  on  the 
smaller  terminal  twigs,  when  they  are  very  difficult 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  103 

to  observe.49  This  habit  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  previously  recorded,  and  I  am  by  no  means 
certain  that  the  explanation  offered  is  the  true 
one. 

Frequently  one  or  more  flocks,  varying  in  size 
from  eight  or  ten  to  several  hundred  birds,  may  be 
seen  in  the  road,  where  I  at  first  supposed  they  were 
"dusting,"  but  soon  noticed  that  most  of  the  birds 
after  alighting  in  the  road  were  motionless.  They 
did  not  move  about  as  though  searching  for  food, 
but  occasionally  the  actions  of  a  pair  enabled  one 
apparently  to  determine  the  sex  of  each  individual, 
and  more  often  a  bird  would  pick  up  a  bit  of  dried 
grass  and  fly  up  into  the  air  with  it.  Sometimes  it 
was  carried  fifty  yards  or  more  and  then  dropped ; 
at  others,  the  birds  would  carry  it  to  the  telegraph 
wires  above,  and  drop  it  after  perching  a  moment. 
Without  exception,  all  the  birds  seen  to  alight  in  the 
road  were  in  the  dull,  immature  plumage  of  birds  of 
the  year,  and  in  their  actions,  as  Mr.  William  Brew- 
ster  has  remarked  (The  Auk,  1898,  p.  194),  they  evi- 
dently gave  a  premature  exhibition  of  the  procrea- 
tive  and  nest-building  instincts.61 

Additional  evidence  of  the  possession  of  inher- 
ited knowledge  was  apparently  given  by  many  Tree 
Swallows,  who  were  frequently  seen  hovering  about 
a  pile  standing  in  the  creek.50  At  first  it  was  sup- 
posed that  these  birds  were  feeding  on  insects  which 
had  alighted  on  the  pile ;  but  the  number  of  birds — 
often  a  dozen  or  more — seen  fluttering  about  it,  and 
the  persistency  with  which  they  remained  there, 
forced  the  conclusion  that  in  a  wholly  unreasoning 
way  they  were  looking  for  a  nesting  site. 


104 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


Swallows  are  not  known  to  migrate  by  night, 
and,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  no  single  Swallow  has 
ever  been  found  among  the  thousands  of  night- 
flying  birds  which  have  perished  by  striking  light- 
houses. The  Swallows,  therefore,  when  migrating 


51.    Immature  Tree  Swallows  gathering  nesting  material. 

probably  leave  the  marsh  during  the  day,  but  in 
what  manner  who  can  say  ? 

Several  times  when  crossing  the  marshes  on  the 
cars  I  have  observed  gatherings  of  Swallows  which 
made  the  immense  flocks  observed  daily  in  August 


WHERE  SWALLOWS  ROOST  105 

and  September  seem  little  more  than  a  family  of 
birds.  They  appeared  in  the  distance  like  a  vast 
swarm  of  gnats ;  it  was  as  though  all  the  Swallows 
in  the  marsh  had  collected  in  one  great  storm  of 
birds.  The  significance  of  this  movement  I  have 
never  had  the  fortune  to  determine,  but  it  seems 
highly  probable  that  it  is  connected  with  the  inau- 
guration of  an  actual  migration  toward  the  birds' 
winter  quarters. 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS 
—-. 

^  ]  ERNS  are  useless  for  food,  and  can 
]  not  therefore  be  classed  as  "  game 
j  birds."  So  far  as  we  know  they 
are  of  no  special  economic  value. 
Consequently,  when  one  protests 
against  their  practical  annihila- 
tion for  millinery  purposes,  he  is 
not  infrequently  answered :  "  Well,  what  good  are 
they  ?  "  The  question  exposes  so  absolute  a  failure 
to  appreciate  the  bird's  exquisite  beauty  and  unex- 
celled grace — such  a  discouraging  materialism — that 
one  realizes  the  hopelessness  of  replying. 

I  confess  I  find  it  impossible  to  describe  satisfac- 
torily just  what  the  presence  of  Terns  along  our 
coast  means  to  me.  It  is  not  alone  their  perfection 
of  color,  form,  and  movement  which  appeals  to  one, 
but  also  the  sense  of  companionship  they  bring;  and 
doubtless  this  feeling  is  emphasized  by  the  impres- 
sive loneliness  of  the  sea,  which  makes  anything 
alive  doubly  welcome.  And  so  the  coming  of  a 
single  one  of  these  beautiful  creatures  changes  the 
character  of  the  bay  or  shore.  With  unfailing 
pleasure  one  watches  its  marvelously  easy  flight,  its 
startling  darts  for  its  food  of  small  fish,  and  when 
it  disappears  the  scene  loses  a  grateful  element  of 
life. 

106 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  10? 

A  milliner's  hunter  or  fisherman,  however,  might 
have  made  a  very  different  reply  to  the  unimagina- 
tive individual  who  asked  the  value  of  Terns.  The 
former  would  have  told  him  that  they  were  worth 
about  ten  cents  each  for  hat  trimmings ;  the  latter 
would  have  said  that  their  eggs  made  excellent 
omelets ;  and  each  has  done  his  best — the  one  to 
lay  all  Terns  on  the  altar  of  Fashion,  the  other 
to  see  that  none  of  their  eggs  escaped  the  frying 
pan. 

In  the  meantime  a  number  of  bird  lovers  have 
taken  up  the  battle  for  the  Terns  in  their  few  re- 
maining strongholds,  and  the  brief  history  of  Tern 
destruction  and  protection  is  full  of  suggestive  in- 
cidents. 

It  was  about  twenty  years  ago  that  Terns  first 
found  favor  in  woman's  eyes,  and  during  the  few 
succeeding  years  hundreds  of  thousands  of  these 
birds  were  killed  on  the  Atlantic  coast  for  milliners. 
Cobb's  Island,  on  the  coast  of  Virginia,  is  credited 
with  having  supplied  forty  thousand  in  a  single 
season,  and,  as  one  of  the  killers  recently  confessed 
to  me  that  he  knew  of  fourteen  hundred  being  killed 
in  a  day,  the  story  is  doubtless  true.  Their  delicate 
white  and  pearl-gray  feathers  were,  of  course,  badly 
blood-stained;  but  good  and  bad,  the  skins  were 
washed  and  then  thrown  into  a  barrel  of  plaster, 
which  was  rolled  up  and  down  the  beach  until  the 
moisture  was  absorbed  from  their  plumage.  A 
Long  Island  taxidermist  used  a  patent  churn  for 
this  purpose. 

The  destruction  at  other  favorable  points  was 
proportionately  great,  and  in  two  or  three  years  one 


108  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

looked  in  vain  for  the  Terns  which  had  previously  so 
enlivened  our  shores. 

The  protection  afforded  by  an  insular  existence 
was  now  given  a  practical  and  striking  illustration. 
The  Terns  which  nested  on  the  mainland  or  near- 
lying  sand  bars  were  soon  extirpated,  but  on  cer- 
tain less  accessible,  uninhabited  islets,  they  still  sur- 
vived. 

Thus  all  that  were  left  of  countless  numbers  of 
these  birds  which  once  inhabited  the  shores  of  Long 
Island  were  to  be  found  on  the  Great  Gull  Island, 
while  Muskeget  and  Penikese,  off  the  Massachusetts 
coast,  contained  the  only  large  colonies  of  Terns 
from  Long  Island  to  Maine.  The  existence  of  the 
Gull  Island  colony  being  threatened  by  collectors, 
the  influence  of  several  bird  lovers  secured  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  keeper  of  the  lighthouse  on  the 
neighboring  islet,  Little  Gull,  as  a  special  game 
warden  to  enforce  the  previously  useless  laws  sup- 
posed to  protect  the  Terns. 

The  result  was  both  encouraging  and  instructive. 
In  two  years  it  is  estimated  that  the  colony  increased 
from  two  thousand  to  four  thousand,  and  it  was  hoped 
that  it  might  prove  a  nucleus  from  which  the  ad- 
joining shores  would  eventually  be  restocked  with 
Terns,  But  the  Government  at  Washington  selected 
Great  Gull  Island  as  a  desirable  point  for  fortifica- 
tions, and  before  even  this  suggestion  of  war  the 
poor  Teens  disappeared.  For  one  season  the  labor- 
ers employed  by  the  Government  feasted  on  Terns' 
eggs ;  then  the  gradual  occupancy  of  the  eighteen 
acres  composing  the  islet  forced  the  birds  to  seek 
homes  elsewhere. 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE   TERNS  109 

Hence  it  follows  that  if  one  would  see  Terns  in 
numbers  on  the  middle  Atlantic  coast  to-day,  he 
must  journey  to  two  small  islets  off  Massachusetts, 
which  thus  far  have  afforded  them  a  refuge.  Inter- 
esting it  is  to  recall  that  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  lying 
between  the  two,  are  found  the  only  living  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Heath  Hen,  or  Eastern  Prairie 
Hen,  which  was  once  locally  abundant  in  certain 
parts  of  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States. 

In  1889  I  visited  the  Terns  of  Great  Gull  Island, 
and  a  desire  to  be  again  surrounded  by  these  birds, 
and  perhaps  secure  photographs  of  them  and  their 
way  of  living,  brought  me  on  July  16,  1899,  to 
Wood's  Holl,  Massachusetts,  en  route  to  whichever 
Tern  headquarters  it  might  prove  most  convenient 
to  reach. 

Quite  unexpectedly  there  proved  to  be  a  small 
colony  of  Common  and  Roseate  Terns  on  three  islets, 
known  as  the  Weepeckets,  standing  in  Buzzard's 
Bay,  near  the  entrance  to  Wood's  Holl.  In  all,  there 
were  probably  between  three  and  four  hundred 
birds,  of  which  by  far  the  greater  number  appeared 
to  be  domiciled  on  the  largest  of  the  three  islands. 
This  contains  from  ten  to  twelve  acres  of  sand, 
grown  with  beach  grass,  scrub  sumach,  bayber- 
ries,  and  a  few  stunted  pines  about  two  feet  in 
height. 

On  this  apparently  uninviting  bit  of  land  I  passed 
two  delightful  days  alone  with  the  Terns.  The  ac- 
companying photographs  tell  far  more  of  the  birds 
than  pen  can  well  express,  but  they  convey  no  sug- 
gestion of  the  pleasure  I  experienced  in  again  finding 
myself  among  them. 


110 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


The  birds  were  nesting  on  the  upland,  on  the 
sloping  grass  bank,  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  is- 
land, and  on  the  rocky  beach88  at  its  base.  In  the  two 
first-named  locations  most  of  the  nests  were  lined 
with  grasses,  but  occasionally  they  consisted  of  only 


msm 


52.  Nesting  site,  nest,  and  three  eggs  of  Common  Tern.    A  nearer  view  of 
nest  with  sitting  bird  is  shown  in  Nos.  63  and  64. 

a  slight,  bared  depression  in  the  earth ;  while  the 
eggs  along  the  beach  were,  as  a  rule,  deposited  on 
wisps  or  piles  of  driftweed.  There  were  perhaps  six 
or  eight  Roseate  Terns,  the  others  were  apparently 


TWO   DAYS  WITH   THE  TERNS  HI 

all  Common  Terns,  but  as  I  am  unfamiliar  with  the 
very  similar  Arctic  Tern,  it  is  possible  that  this 
species  may  have  been  present. 

A  Tern  colony  is  in  some  respects  a  unit.     The 
alarm  of  one  bird  is  shared  by  all,  and  before  the 
boat's    keel    grated    on    - 
the  sandy  beach  of  the 
largest  Weepecket,  the 
snowy  -  breasted    birds, 
which  in  a  group  were 
resting  there,  had  taken 
flight,    and    with    their 
singular  call  told  all  the 
other  Terns  on  the  is- 
land   of    my    invasion. 
At  once  the  birds  gath- 
ered and,  hanging  in  a 
flock      overhead,     pro- 

53.  Tern  hovering  above  nest. 

tested   most  vigorously 

against  my  intrusion  with  their  purring,  vibrant 
te-a-r-r-r.  This  cry  never  ceases  so  long  as  one 
remains  near  their  home;  it  rings  in  the  ears  for 
days  afterward,  and  one  need  only  to  recall  it  to 
form  a  clear  mental  picture  of  a  sky  full  of  hov- 
ering Terns.  Occasionally  this  monotone  was  punc- 
tuated by  a  loud,  reedy  cack  as  a  Roseate  Tern 
dashed  by,  or  as  some  half -distracted  bird,  whose 
nest  was  doubtless  near,  screaming,  dived  close  to 
my  head  with  a  sudden,  startling  swish.  It  seemed 
almost  as  though  the  bird  would  pierce  me  with  its 
sharply  pointed  bill ;  and  if  it  could  have  managed 
to  go  through  the  rim  of  my  hat  without  damage  to 
either  of  us,  I  should  have  been  very  glad  to  have 


112 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


sacrificed  that  article  of  apparel  to  such  an  exhibi- 
tion of  bravery. 

As  I  advanced  I  began  to  discover  nests.  Some 
were  on  the  upland,  snugly  placed  in  the  grass  or 
near  a  large  stone,54  and  with  pretty  surroundings  of 
yarrow,  sumach,  or  bending  grasses  ;  others  were  on 
the  little  shelves  of  the  steep  westerly  bank  of  the 
islet ;  and  others  still  on  bits  of  seaweed  among  the 
pebbles  and  rocks  which  here  formed  the  beach.55 

No  attempt  was  made 
to  take  advantage  of 
the  concealment  of- 
fered by  the  groups 
of  bowlders  scattered 
along  the  beach,  and 
beneath  which  the 
birds  might  have  hid- 
den effectively,  it  be- 
ing presumably  their 
object  to  select  a 
site  from  which  they 
could  readily  detect 
any  cause  for  alarm. 
As  a  rule,  their  nests 

54.   Nest  and  eggs  of  Tern  on  upland.  . 

contained  one  or  two 

eggs,  only  a  single  nest  being  seen  with  three. 
Although  by  this  time  birds  of  the  year  should 
have  been  on  the  wing,  few  young  of  any  age  were 
seen — a  condition  which  was  doubtless  explained  by 
the  fact  that  the  birds,  thus  far,  had  been  too  much 
occupied  furnishing  the  members  of  boating  parties 
with  souvenirs  of  their  day's  outing,  to  give  atten- 
tion to  their  own  household  affairs. 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  H3 

However,  the  few  young  that  were  seen  gave 
a  most  interesting  exhibition  of  their  instinctive 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  both  their  protective 
colors  and  the  power  of  their  legs.  As  long  as  they 


Tern's  nest  and  eggs  in  drift  debris. 


believed  themselves  unobserved  they  trusted  in  the 
former  ;  but  the  moment  they  became  convinced  that 
a  further  attempt  at  concealment  was  useless,  they 
transferred  their  faith  to  their  pedal  extremities,  on 
which  they  pattered  off  as  far  and  as  fast  as  their 
strength  permitted.  This  observation  was  verified 
later  on  Penikese,57  where  young  were  numerous,  and 
the  habit  was  well  shown  by  the  young  bird  figured.56 
He  was  discovered  squatting  among  the  rocks,  where 
he  remained,  practically  at  my  feet,  while  I  set  up 
my  tripod  and  deliberately  made  his  picture—  during 
which  operation  so  inconspicuous  was  he  that  I  in- 
variably had  to  hunt  for  him  each  time  I  removed 
my  eyes  from  the  exact  spot  in  which  he  was  crouch- 
ing. Wishing  now  to  show  him  to  better  advantage, 
he  was  picked  up  and  placed  on  a  wisp  of  drift- 


114  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

weed.  At  once  his  manner  changed.  My  touch  had 
broken  the  spell ;  what  could  be  felt  could  be  seen, 
and,  whereas  before  he  had  been  as  motionless  as  the 
pebbles  about  him/7  his  one  object  now  was  to  get 
out  of  sight  as  speedily  as  possible.  Consequently, 
time  after  time,  the  moment  I  took  my  hand  from 
him  he  was  off,  and  it  was  only  by  squeezing  the 
bulb  the  moment  he  was  released  that  I  succeeded 
finally  in  securing  his  picture  on  the  seaweed. 

Young  Terns,   apparently,   spend    at    least  two 
days  in  the  nest,  during  which  time  they  are  brooded 


56.   Young  Tern  hiding  on  rocky  beach. 

by  the  parents ;  then  they  wander  about  within  a 
limited  space  seeking  the  shade  of  a  stone  or  bit 
of  driftwood,  always  of  course  under  the  parental 
care.  At  Penikese,  young  of  the  year  were  seen  on 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  115 

the  wing,  and  the  series  of  pictures  shown  represents 
the  stages  of  growth  from  the  egg  to  the  age  at 
which  the  bird  takes  flight. 

Both  the  nature  of  the  bird's  haunts  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  members  of  a  colony  spread  an 
alarm  make  it  practically  impossible  to  surprise  a 


57.   Young  Tern  hiding  in  the  grass. 

Tern  upon  its  nest.  But  by  lying  prone  upon  the 
ground  one  attracts  far  less  attention  than  when 
standing.  The  hovering  flock  of  birds  gradually 
disperses,  and  those  which  are  incubating  soon  re- 
turn to  the  vicinity  of  their  nests,  hanging  over 
them  and  dropping  nearer  and  nearer,53  until  at  the 
end  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  they  swoop  down 
beside  them,  raise  their  wings  high  over  their  backs, 
then  fold  them  gently  and  settle  upon  their  eggs.58 

On  a  second  visit  to  the  island  a  bit  of  old  sail 
was  brought,  which  I  drew  over  me  when  lying  on 
the  ground — a  plan  resulting  in  my  practical  disap- 
pearance, as  far  as  the  Terns  were  concerned. 


116 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


Obviously  the  only  manner  in  which  photographs 
of  the  Terns  on  their  nests  could  be  secured  was  to 
conceal  one's  camera  near  the  nest  and  retire,  with  a 
tube  or  thread,  to  a  distance  of  a  hundred  feet  or 
more.  A  nest  was  therefore  selected  about  halfway 
up  the  bank  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  island,  the 
camera  staked  to  the  ground  with  long  iron  pins, 
and  completely  covered  with  the  dried  seaweed 
abundant  on  the  beach  below.  I  then  attached  a 


58.    Tern  alighting  on  nest.     Same  nest 


black  linen  thread  to  the  shutter  and  retired  about 
one  hundred  feet  to  the  top  of  the  bank.  Almost  as 
soon  as  I  lay  down  the  tumult  overhead  ceased,  the 
birds  scattered,  and  the  rasping  te-a-r-r-r  note  of 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  Hf 

alarm  was  replaced  by  a  variety  of  calls,  showing 
these  birds  to  be  possessed  of  an  unexpectedly  ex- 
tended vocabulary.  One  call  was  a  chirp  not  unlike 


59.   Tern  on  hillside  nest. 

the  White-throated  Sparrow's,  a  second  might  be 
written  iue,  tue,  tue,  and  was  uttered  when  one  bird 
was  in  pursuit  of  another. 

The  seaweed  not  only  concealed  the  camera  per- 
fectly, but  was  so  abundant  near  the  bird's  nest  that 
the  appearance  of  a  fresh  mound  apparently  did  not 
even  excite  the  bird's  curiosity,  and  within  twenty 
minutes  it  had  returned  to  its  eggs.  It  happened, 
however,  that  the  nature  of  the  site  chosen  induced 
the  bird  to  face  the  water,  and  as  the  camera  was 
above,  and  consequently  behind  it,  the  view  pre- 
sented did  not  show  it  to  advantage,  but  after  sev- 
eral unsuccessful  trials  the  attempt  to  secure  a  more 
flattering  view  was  abandoned.59 

A  bird  was  now  chosen  who  was  incubating  two 
eggs  placed  in  a  depression  in  a  little  mound  of  sea- 
weed on  the  beach.  On  this  occasion  the  camera  was 


118  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

placed  on  a  driftwood  box,  weighted  with  stones, 
and  completely  covered  with  seaweed.  These  eggs 
were  hatching,  and  the  bird  soon  returned  to  them ; 
but  before  it  had  come  back,  another  bird  in  darting 


N^ 


60.  Tern's  nest  and  hatching  eggs  in  seaweed. 

by  had  flown  into  the  thread,  springing  the  shutter, 
and  making  the  picture 60  of  the  nest  and  eggs  here 
given  quite  as  effectively  as  many  a  similarly  inex- 
perienced photographer  could  have  done. 

The  day  but  one  following — July  20th— these  egg- 
shells had  disappeared,  and  the  nest  was  occupied 
by  two  young  birds  with  just  enough  strength  to 
crawl  toward  the  parent  bird  when  it  appeared  with 
food.61  And  when  their  appetites  were  appeased  the 
parent  bird  took  her  place  on  the  nest  and  brooded 
them  with  the  care  of  an  anxious  hen.63 

A  few  yards  from  this  new  family  were  two 
young  who  could  not  have  been  over  four  days  old, 
but  who  had  left  the  nest  for  the  shade  of  a  piece  of 
driftwood.  Here  they  were  fed  by  two  birds — doubt- 
less both  parents — whom  they  seemed  to  recognize 
among  the  other  Terns  hovering  above  them.  They 


TWO  DAYS  WITH   THE  TERNS 


119 


were  apparently  fed  on  small  fish,  which  the  parent 
bird  placed  in  their  open  mouths  while  standing  just 
within  reaching  distance.  None  of  the  several  pic- 
tures of  these  birds  were  wholly  successful,  but  in 


~^&* 

aatlSS 

61.  Tern  about  to  feed  young.    Same  nest  as  No.  60. 

all  of  them  the  old  birds  seem  to  be  much  more 
graceful  in  form  than  the  parent  of  the  newly 
hatched  young  in  the  seaweed. 

A  less  experienced  Tern  had  placed  its  nest  of  a 
few  bits  of  seaweed  among  the  pebbles,  almost 
within  reach  of  the  waves.  This  bird  was  singu- 
larly restless,  turning  its  head  from  side  to  side 
so  constantly  that  its  picture  was  secured  only  by 
pulling  the  long  thread  the  moment  after  the  bird 
moved,63' 64  Like  all  the  birds  photographed  on  the 


120  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

nest,  it  showed  no  alarm  at  the  click  of  the  shutter 
as  the  exposure  was  made.  This  surprised  me  not 
a  little.  The  camera  was  usually  about  three  feet 
from  the  bird,  the  exposure  was  necessarily  rapid 
(^  second  and  stop  8),  the  snap  of  the  old-style 
"  Henry  Clay,"  used  on  the  first  day,  or  even  of  the 
less  loud  Iris  diaphragm,  could  be  plainly  heard  at 
a  distance  of  several  yards,  and  its  failure  to  startle 
these  nervous,  easily  frightened  birds  makes  one 
suspect  that  their  hearing  is  deficient. 

The  nests  of  the  Terns  that  chose  the  upland  for 
a  home  were  often  picturesquely  surrounded  by 
stunted  sumach  or  blooming  yarrow,  but  the  birds 
here  were  far  less  easy  to  photograph  because  of 


62.  Tern  brooding  young.    Same  nest  as  No.  (!0. 

the  difficulty  of  thoroughly  concealing  one's  camera. 
The  owner  of  an  especially  pleasing  nesting  site  kept 
me  beneath  my  bit  of  sail  for  somewhat  over  two 
hours,  while  she — if  it  was  she — hung  in  the  air  just 


TWO   DAYS  WITH   THE   TERNS 


121 


63.   Tern  on  nest.    Site  shown  in  No.  52. 

over  her   eggs,  on  which  I   momentarily  expected 
to  see  her  settle.65 

In  the  meantime  the  tide  had  arisen  and  floated 
my  boat,  which  was  carried  by  the  wind  across  to 
Naushon,  and  I  might 
have  passed  the  night 
with  the  Terns,  had 
not  the  Fish  Commis- 
sioner's launch  taken 
me  off  in  the  afternoon. 

It  would  not  have 
been  an  unwelcome  ex- 
perience. There  was 
an  abundance  of  dry 
seaweed  for  a  couch — 
a  nest,  I  had  almost 
said — and  some  cavern- 
like  openings  beneath  64.  Tern  on  nest  Site 
the  piles  of  great  bowl- 
ders had  a  very  snug  and  cozy  look,  which  prob- 
ably would  have  disappeared  shortly  after  sunset. 


122 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


Two  days  later  I  went  to  Penikese,  and  my  domi- 
nant thought  on  recalling  the  experience  is  an  in- 
tense desire  to  repeat  it.  Penikese,  or  at  least  its 
northern  part,  is  an  island  of  Terns.  On  the  rocky 
beach,  from  which  the  sides  of  the  bank  lead  to  the 


65.   Tern  on  upland  nest. 

rolling  upland  above,  whichever  way  I  looked  was 
a  Tern's  nest  with  its  two,  or,  rarely,  three  eggs. 
Less  frequently  young  Terns  were  seen,  varying  in 
age  from  those  just  emerging  from  the  shell  to 
others  almost  ready  to  fly,  while  overhead  was  a 


TWO  DAYS  WITH   THE  TERNS 


123 


countless  multitude  of  hovering,  darting  Terns, 
whose  voices  united  in  one  continuous,  grating 
te-a-r-r-r  made  the  air  tremble.  There  was  an  occa- 


66.   Young  Terns ;  first  stage,  about  four  days  old. 

sional  vibrant  cack  from  a  Roseate,  but  not  more 
than  a  dozen  birds  of  this  species  were  heard.  Asked 
to  estimate  the  number  of  birds  present  I  should 
have  said  ten  thousand,  though  I  should  not  have 
been  surprised  to  learn  that  there  were  twenty  thou- 
sand. However,  Mr.  George  H.  Mackay,  of  Nan- 
tucket,  who  may  be  regarded  as  a  Tern  specialist, 
placed  the  number  of  Terns  on  Penikese,  in  1896,  at 
"  six  or  seven  thousand,"  and  with  the  assistance  of 
Mr.  R.  H.  Howe,  Jr.,  counted  1,416  nests  containing 
2,055  eggs  (Auk,  xiv,  1897,  p.  283). 

A  small  flock  of  sheep  shared  this  part  of  the 
island  with  the  Terns,  and  their  presence  accounted 
for  the  short  grass  which  made  the  upland  resemble 
a  closely  cut  lawn,  and  permitted  one  readily  to  see 


124  BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 

the  Tern's  eggs  when  several  yards  distant.     For 
the  same  reason  the  birds  could  be  seen  even  more 


67.  Young  Tern,  about  a  week  old. 


68.  Young  Tern ;  third  stage,  second  plumage  appearing. 

plainly,  and  my  most  pleasing  memory  of  Penikese 
is  the  greensward  dotted  with  the  white  forms  of 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  125 

breeding  birds,  who  had  returned  to  their  nests  after 
I  had  partially  concealed  myself  behind  a  bowlder. 

In  or  near  the  nests  many  dead  young  birds  were 
seen.  The  cause  of  their  death  was  not  evident, 
unless  it  may  be  attributed  to  the  unguarded  foot- 
steps of  the  grazing  sheep.  If  this  be  true,  the 
parent  birds  seemed  in  no  way  to  resent  the  sheep's 
carelessness,  but  accepted  their  presence  without 


09.    Young  Tern,  fourth  stage. 

protest;  one  bird  even  exhibited  a  sign  of  good 
fellowship  by  perching  on  a  sheep's  back,  and  the 
length  of  time  it  remained  there  showed  that  it  was 
by  no  means  an  unwelcome  visitor. 

My  time  on  Penikese  was  too  short  to  more  than 
show  what  an  admirable  opportunity  is  here  offered 
the  ornithologist  who  desires  to  make  a  close  study 
of  the  home  life  and  social  relations  of  Terns.  The 


126 


BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A  CAMERA 


present  owners  of  the  island,  the  Messrs.  Homer,  of 
New  Bedford,  take  a  greatly  to  be  commended  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  their  feathered  tenants,  and, 
through  posters  and  the  agency  of  their  representa- 
tive on  the  island,  aim  to  afford  the  birds  a  much- 
needed  protection. 

What  an  enviable  possession  !     What  a  privilege 
to  be  able  to  give  a  refuge  to  so  large  a  proper- 


70.    Young  Tern,  stage  before  flight. 

tion  of  the  remaining  survivors  of  these  persecuted 
birds ! 

With  no  desire  to  underrate  the  services  to  the 
Commonwealth  of  these  gentlemen,  I  still  could  wish 
the  Terns  more  stable  protectors.  Not  the  State, 


TWO  DAYS  WITH  THE  TERNS  127 

whose  record  as  a  Tern  protector  does  not  invite  our 
confidence,  but  a  society  of  bird  lovers — the  Nuttall 
Club  of  Cambridge,  or  the  Audubon  Society  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. Would  it  not  be  a  fitting  act  for  one  of 
these  organizations  to  ask  from  woman,  the  Tern's 
chief  enemy,  contributions  to  a  fund  for  the  pur- 
chase of  an  asylum  for  her  victims.  Can  no  one  so 
plead  the  Terns'  cause  that  many  a  feather-bedecked 
woman  will  be  glad  to  send  her  conscience  money 
to  aid  in  securing  their  protection  ? 

But  in  addition  to  being  a  home  of  the  birds, 
Penikese  has  other  claims  upon  Nature  lovers. 
Here  Agassiz,  through  the  medium  of  his  summer 
school,  brought  his  pupils  into  direct  contact  with 
Nature,  and  the  scene  of  his  labors  is  fraught  with 
associations  to  every  one  familiar  with  the  inspiring 
history  of  his  life.  Let  us  keep  this  island  sacred  to 
his  memory  and  the  Terns. 


THE   BIRD   ROCKS   OF  THE   GULF   OF 
ST.   LAWRENCE 


PERCE  AND    BONAVENTURE 

.«  HE  naturalist  realizes  with  the  ut- 
most sadness  that  the  encroach- 
ments of  civilization  are  rapidly 
changing  the  conditions  of  animal 
life  on  this  small  sphere  of  ours, 
and  that  soon  he  may  find  Nature 
primeval  only  in  its  more  remote 
or  inaccessible  parts. 

Forest  life  vanishes  with  the  demand  for  timber, 
which  sends  the  axeman  in  advance  of  the  agricul- 
turist. The  tillable  plains,  prairies,  and  bottom 
lands  are  transformed  by  the  plow.  The  sandy 
beaches  suffer  with  an  eruption  of  summer  hotels 
and  cottages,  and  within  the  confines  of  civilization 
only  such  useless  portions  of  the  earth's  surface  as 
the  arid  deserts  and  barren  mountain  tops,  marshy 
wastes  and  rocky  or  far-distant  islets,  have  been  un- 
altered by  man. 

It  is  especially  to  the  preserving  influences  of 
island  life  that  we  owe  the  continued  survival  of 
many  animals  which  have  greatly  decreased  or  be- 
come exterminated  on  the  mainland,  as  has  been 
remarked  of  the  Terns  and  Heath  Hen — two  illus- 
128 


PERCE  AND  BONA VENTURE  129 

trations  among  hundreds  that  might  be  given.  Cer- 
tain animals,  therefore,  are  not  only  more  abundant 
on  islands,  but,  if  their  home  be  not  shared  by  man, 
they  exhibit  a  tameness  surprising  to  one  who  has 
known  only  the  timid,  man-fearing  creatures  of  the 
mainland. 

On  several  uninhabited  West  Indian  islets  the 
sailors  of  Columbus  killed  Pigeons  and  other  birds 
with  sticks,  or  caught  them  in  their  hands.  Dar- 
win writes  of  the  "  extreme  tameness  "  of  the  birds 
of  the  Galapagos,  and  tells  of  pushing  a  Hawk  off 
its  perch  with  the  muzzle  of  his  gun.  Moseley,  on 
Inaccessible  and  Kerguelen  Islands,  had  similar  ex- 
periences. 

The  Albatrosses  of  the  Laysan  Islands  show  far 
less  fear  of  man  than  do  barnyard  fowls — in  short, 
if  it  were  necessary,  hundreds  of  instances  might  be 
cited  to  show  that  distrust  of  man  is  an  acquired 
and  not  a  natural  trait  of  animals. 

Having  these  facts  in  mind,  therefore,  I  be- 
thought me  of  some  island  or  islands  which  were 
neither  at  the  antipodes  nor  either  pole,  and  where 
birds  were  not  only  abundant,  but  in  such  happy 
ignorance  of  man  that  no  difficulty  would  be  expe- 
rienced in  securing  their  photographs.  These  would 
not  only  have  a  present  interest  and  value,  but  would 
also  form  permanent  records  of  conditions  already 
threatened  by  the  destructive  tendencies  of  the  age. 

After  carefully  considering  all  the  more  easily 
reached  islets  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  my 
choice  fell  on  certain  of  the  bird  rocks  of  the  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence.  The  name  bird  rock  is  used  in 
both  a  general  and  a  special  sense.  In  the  former  it 
10 


130  BIRD  STUDIES   WITH  A  CAMERA 

may  be  applied  to  many  of  the  rocky  islets  of  the 
gulf,  in  the  latter  it  relates  exclusively  to  the  Bird 
Rocks  at  the  northeastern  end  of  the  Magdalen 
group. 

Perce*  Rock,  Bona venture  Island,  the  Magdalens, 
and  the  Bird  Rocks  themselves  seemed  to  offer  the 
best  opportunities  to  the  bird  photographer,  and, 
accompanied  by  my  best  assistant,  I  departed  for  the 
first  named  on  July  2,  1898. 

Perce*  Rock71  (so  named  because  its  base  has  been 
pierced  by  the  action  of  the  waves)  lies  about  three 
hundred  feet  off  the  land  at  the  town  of  Percd,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

A  semiweekly  steamer  from  Dalhousie,  near  the 
head  of  Bay  of  Chaleur,  furnishes  the  regular  means 
of  communication  with  Percd,  and  the  town  at  once 
possesses  a  distinction  over  any  place  on  the  line  of 
a  railway.  For,  aside  from  every  other  reason,  there 
is  a  pervasiveness  about  the  smoke  of  a  railway 
locomotive  which  contaminates  the  atmosphere  and 
robs  local  influences  of  half  their  potency.  Doubt- 
less there  are  persons  who  would  be  glad  to  change 
the  aroma  of  Perce's  fishyards  for  the  stifling  air  of 
a  railway  tunnel,  but  give  me  the  pungent  odor  of 
Percys  drying  cod  unadulterated. 

Even  the  steamer  does  not  touch  Perce",  and  we 
were  landed  by  a  boat  in  a  sea  just  rough  enough  to 
make  the  experience  interesting.  At  the  pier  no 
hotel  agent  greeted  us,  for  Perce  possesses  neither 
hotel  nor  boarding  house,  and  summer  resorters  are 
almost  unknown.  This  was  a  delightful  discovery. 
We  had  come  in  search  of  an  isolated  colony  of 
birds,  and  we  found  also  an  isolated  colony  of  man 


132  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

—quaint  fisher  folk  whose  patois  French  had  a 
gratefully  foreign  sound. 

Lodgings  were  secured  at  the  home  of  a  retired 
fisherman,  and  immediately  we  sallied  forth  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  Rock  from  the  nearest  point  on  the 
mainland.  Its  size  and  precipitousness  were  both 
surprising  and  impressive.  Seen  from  the  land  it 
seemed  like  the  hull  of  some  great  ship  which  had 
gone  ashore  here  in  the  age  of  the  Titans.  Nearly 
three  hundred  feet  high  at  the  bow,  with  a  beam  of 
about  one  hundred,  and  a  length  over  all  of  twelve 
hundred  feet,  it  was  not  likely  to  be  boarded  by  the 
most  nimble  seaman. 

Doubtless  an  expert  climber,  properly  equipped 
with  ropes  and  assistants,  might  reach  the  summit ; 
but  as  the  last  man  to  make  the  attempt,  some  fifty 
years  ago,  lost  his  life,  the  town  authorities  have  im- 
posed a  fine  of  five  pounds  on  any  one  who  shall  be 
found  guilty  of  scaling  or  trying  to  scale  the  Rock, 
and  the  law,  incidentally,  protects  the  birds  as  well 
as  man. 

The  top  of  the  Rock  is  occupied  by  a  colony  of 
probably  between  two  and  three  thousand  Herring 
Gulls  and  Double-crested  Cormorants.  The  guide- 
books array  these  birds  in  picturesque  cohorts  which 
make  the  Cormorants'  part  of  the  Rock  black,  the 
Gulls'  white ;  and  they  further  state  that  should  a 
black  bird  chance  to  trespass  on  the  Gulls'  territory, 
he  is  immediately  surrounded  by  a  consuming  white 
cloud,  and  vice  versa.  But  be  it  said  to  the  disgrace 
of  man  and  the  credit  of  birds,  that  the  Cormorants 
and  Gulls  nest  side  by  side  apparently  on  terms  of 
the  greatest  amity. 


PERCE  AND  BONA VENTURE  133 

At  this  point  it  should  be  stated  that  my  photo- 
graphic outfit  consisted  of  an  ancient  but  useful 
4X5"  Waterbury  Detective/'  containing  a  wide 
angle,  short- focus  lens,  and  designed  for  general 
handwork ;  a  4  X  5  long-focus  "  Premo  "  with  a  6£- 
inch  trade  lens  and  Unicum  shutter,  for  use  from  a 
tripod  or  in  photographing  nests,  landscapes,  etc., 
and  a  5  X  7  twin  lens  with  a  10-inch  lens  and  Prosch 
shutter,  a  camera  made  especially  for  animal  pho- 
tography, but  which  was  undesirably  bulky. 

None  of  these  was  of  service  in  photographing 
the  inhabitants  of  Perce*  Rock  from  the  land,  nor 
could  a  telephoto  be  used  to  advantage,  the  Rock 
being  so  much  higher  than  the  adjoining  mainland. 
From  a  boat  near  the  base  of  the  southeast  side  of 
the  Rock  a  better  opportunity  is  afforded  for  pho- 
tographing its  summit,  and  the  best  of  several  at- 
tempts made  at  this  point  is  here  presented.78  Ex- 
amined under  a  glass  it  conveys  some  idea  of  the 
number  of  birds  occupying  the  top  of  the  Rock  ;  and 
while  one  regrets  that  the  camera  does  so  little  jus- 
tice to  the  subject,  one  can  not  but  rejoice  that  here, 
at  least,  is  one  place  to  which  probably  for  all  time 
birds  may  return  each  year  and  rear  their  young  in 
perfect  security. 

In  crevices  in  the  face  of  the  Rock  numbers  of 
Guillemots  nest,  and  directly  above  the  pierced 
opening  dwell  a  colony  of  about  thirty  Kittiwakes, 
who  have  apparently  taken  up  their  residence  in  the 
Rock  within  comparatively  recent  years,  since  none 
were  here  in  1881  when  Mr.  William  Brewster  vis- 
ited Percd 

Wherever  one  be  about  Perce*,  in  the  town  or 


PERCE  AND  BONAVENTURE  135 

out,  the  Rock  is  the  prominent  feature  of  the  coast 
line.  It  dominates  its  surroundings  as  a  snow- 
capped mountain  rules  its  dependent  ranges.  To 
the  bird  lover  it  possesses  a  double  fascination,  and 
one  is  constantly  attracted  by  the  ceaseless  cries 
of  the  throng  of  hovering  birds,  who  in  some  inde- 
scribable way  seem  to  invest  their  home  with  a  sense 
of  the  charm,  the  freedom,  the  wildness  of  a  sea- 
bird's  life.  It  is  a  true  bird  rock  ;  man  has  no  part 
in  it. 

At  sunset  this  bond  between  the  Rock  and  its 
inhabitants  seemed  especially  strong  and  real. 
Through  a  notch  in  the  western  hills  the  last  rays 
of  the  sun  fell  squarely  upon  the  Rock,  illuminating 
it  and  the  ever-present  soaring  Gulls  after  the  land 
and  the  sea  were  in  shadow.  Slowly  the  light  left 
the  Rock,  until  it,  too,  was  of  the  same  gray -blue  as 
its  surroundings  ;  then,  like  the  beams  from  a  search- 
light, it  struck  the  circling  mass  of  Gulls,  making 
them  seem  a  flurry  of  snowflakes  descending  into 
the  gloom  below. 

The  pilgrim  to  Perce*  Rock  will  find  that  the 
object  of  his  journey  not  only  exceeds  in  grandeur 
his  brightest  imagination  of  it,  but  he  will  be  fur- 
ther rewarded  by  discovering  Percd  itself  and  the 
country  round  about  to  be  of  exceptional  interest 
and  beauty.  It  was  the  season  of  codfishing,  and 
every  morning  a  fleet  of  a  hundred  or  more  stanch 
little  boats,  each  with  two  men,  put  out  into  the  bay 
for  a  day's  fishing.  Their  return,  late  in  the  after- 
noon, was  an  eventful  part  of  the  day.  Then  the 
beach  was  the  center  of  attraction  as  boat  after  boat 
came  in,  the  men  depositing  their  catch  on  the  sands, 


136 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


then  setting  up  their  tables  and  "  splitting  "  the  cod 
with  surprising  dexterity.73 

This  industry  resulted  in  a  singular  habit  among 
the  Herring  Gulls,  which,  when  first  seen,  I  was  at  a 


»cr3S^ 

73.    Splitting  cod  on  Perce  beach.     Perce   Eock  in  the  distance. 

loss  to  explain.  In  a  cultivated  hillside  bordering 
the  town  a  flock  of  about  fifty  Gulls  was  observed 
eagerly  devouring  some  food,  which  was  apparently 
abundant.  "  Grasshoppers,"  I  thought,  but  on  in- 
vestigation the  grasshoppers  proved  to  be  entrails, 
heads,  vertebrae,  etc.,  of  codfish,  which  had  been 
strewn  over  the  fields  as  fertilizer.  The  Gulls  took 
wing  at  my  approach,  and  perched  in  long  rows  on 
the  fences ;  a  curious  sight,  of  which  I  tried,  but 
failed,  to  secure  a  picture. 

It  was  through  these  fields,  and  along  the  crests 
of  the  red  sandstone  cliffs  northwest  of  the  town, 


PERCE  AND  BONAVENTURE 


137 


tliat  my  walks  oftenest  led  me.  A  few  Herring 
Gulls  nested  on  the  ledges,  and  Mr.  Kearton  might 
have  succeeded  in  securing  the  photographs  of  them. 
But  I  freely  confess  to  an  absence  of  both  taste  and 
talent  as  a  cliffman,  and  was  quite  content,  under 
the  circumstances,  to  view  the 
birds  from  above.  They,  how- 
ever, had  no  scruples  about 
approaching  me,  and  uttering 
a  threatening  ka-ka-ka,  which 
suggested  the  voice  of  a  gigan- 
tic katydid,  circled  about  my 
head  or,  with  an  alarming 
swish,  swooped  down  so  near 
me  that  I  invariably  was  sur- 
prised into  "ducking."  Here 
also  were  croaking  Ravens,  who 
•seemed  by  no  means  shy,  and 
on  nearly  every  fence  post  was 
a  Savanna  Sparrow,  by  all  odds 
the  most  abundant  land  bird 
observed. 

Turning  from  the  cliffs,  one 
soon  reached  the  sprcue  and 
balsam  forests,  with  their  twit- 
tering Juncos,  sweet  -  voiced 
White-throated  Sparrows,  Pine 
Finches,  and  numerous  Warb-  74.  YoUng  Savanna  Sparrow. 
lers,  and  following  the  gently 

ascending  lanes  and  pathways  leading  through  the 
fragrant  woods,  arrived  at  the  shrine-crowned  sum- 
mit of  Mount  St.  Anne,  twelve  hundred  feet  above 
the  gulf. 


138  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

It  is  a  superb  view  of  boundless  sea  and  forest 
which  greets  one  from  this  vantage  point — a  strik- 
ing combination  of  the  charms  of  land  and  water. 
To  the  south,  the  Bay  Chaleur  with  its  broken  coast 
line ;  to  the  west,  a  grand  panorama  of  mountain 
and  valley,  all  densely  wooded — the  home  of  bear, 
and  deer,  and  caribou  ;  to  the  north,  a  foreground 
of  red  cliffs  and  blue  water,  and,  in  the  distance, 
Gasps';  to  the  east,  the  apparently  limitless  gulf  and, 
seemingly  beneath  one,  Bonaventure  Island,  Percd, 
and  the  Rock. 

It  was  a  view  to  remember ;  one,  I  trust,  I  may 
be  privileged  to  behold  again.  I  longed  for  time  to 
explore  the  surrounding  woods,  but  Bonaventure 
with  its  Gannets  wielded  a  stronger  fascination,  and 
two  days  after  our  arrival  we  chartered  a  cod  boat, 
with  its  crew,  for  the  voyage  to  the  Gannet  rooker- 
ies on  the  eastern  side  of  Bonaventure,  distant  about 
four  miles. 

The  evident  great  strength  of  our  craft  in  pro- 
portion to  its  size  made  it  seem  like  a  stunted  vessel, 
and  her  captain  and  the  crew,  of  one  man,  seemed 
built  on  the  same  lines.  During  the  winter  they 
were  lumbermen  in  the  region  north  of  Ottawa,  in 
the  summer  codfishers.  It  is  doubtful  if  they  could 
have  selected  occupations  requiring  greater  endur- 
ance. They  seemed  as  tough  as  rawhide,  and  as 
rough  as  pirates. 

My  good  assistant  they  invariably  spoke  of  as 
"  the  woman,"  but  both  proved  true  men  at  heart, 
and  as  solicitous  for  our  welfare  as  though  their  own 
lives  of  exposure  had  not  trained  them  to  laugh  at 
hardship. 


PERCE  AND  BONA VENTURE  139 

I  may  seem  to  give  undue  attention  to  the  boat- 
men of  a  day ;  but  there  are  days  and  days  in  our 
lives,  and  with  neither  my  companion  nor  myself 
will  time  dim  the  memory  of  the  day  off  Bona- 
venture. 

There  had  been  a  heavy  blow  from  the  east  the 
night  before,  the  tide  was  ebbing,  and  ere  we  had 
passed  the  Rock,  and  while  still  under  the  lee  of 
Bonaventure,  our  boat  began  to  toss  in  a  very  dis- 
quieting manner.  As  we  rounded  the  southwest  end 
of  Bonaventure  we  were  more  exposed  to  the  action 
of  the  waves,  but  my  physical  balance  was  sustained 
by  the  anticipation  of  seeing  "  two,  tree  million  of 
bird,"  which  the  men  declared  would  soon  be  visible 
on  the  cliffs. 

The  farther  we  advanced  the  less  shelter  had  we 
from  the  land,  and  finally,  passing  the  northwest 
end  of  the  island,  we  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  full 
force  of  a  long  rolling  sea,  which  made  it  impossible 
to  stand,  or  even  sit,  without  clinging  to  one's  sur- 
roundings. At  this  point,  I  believe,  the  promise  of 
the  most  wonderful  sight  in  the  bird  world  would  not 
have  induced  me  to  continue  on  our  course  another 
minute ;  but  fortunately  no  promise  was  required, 
the  sight  itself  existed,  and  under  its  inspiration  I 
battled  with  weak  nature  for  the  next  half  hour 
with  a  courage  born  of  enthusiasm  and  a  desire  to 
picture  the  wonders  of  the  scene  before  me. 

On  the  ledges  of  the  red  sandstone  cliffs,  which 
rose  sheer  three  hundred  feet  above  the  waves  at 
their  base,  was  row  after  row  of  snow-white  Gan- 
nets  on  their  nests.75  Their  number  was  incredible, 
and  as  we  coasted  slowly  onward,  the  red  walls  above 


K    s 


PERCE  AND   BONAVENTURE  141 

us  were  streaked  with  white  as  far  as  one  could  see 
in  either  direction,  and  the  hoarse  cries  of  the  birds 
rose  in  chorus  above  the  sound  of  the  beating  waves. 
It  was  a  wild  picture,  which  the  majesty  of  the  cliffs 
and  the  grandeur  of  the  sea  rendered  exceedingly 
impressive. 

How  I  longed  for  the  internal  composure  of  my 
boatmen !  One  moment  I  bowed  to  the  waves,  the 
next  propped  myself  against  the  mast  and,  held  by 
the  captain,  attempted  to  use  the  twin-lens  camera. 
Water,  cliff,  and  sky  danced  across  the  ground  glass 
in  bewildering  succession,  as,  like  a  wing-shot,  I 
squeezed  my  pneumatic  bulb  and  snapped  at  the 
jumping  sky  line. 

One  or  two  exposures  were  followed  by  collapse, 
and  in  time  by  partial  recuperation,  which  permitted 
fresh  efforts.  In  the  picture  presented  the  cliff  is 
well  shown,  but  the  birds  are  not  so  numerous  as  in 
others  less  successful  photographically.  And  dur- 
ing this  time  how  fared  my  assistant  ?  Charity  for- 
bids a  reply.  I  will  only  say  that,  in  response  to  a 
hail  from  a  passing  fisherman,  our  captain  shouted, 
"  Son  malade  !  " 

The  supply  of  5  X  7  plates  exhausted,  we  came 
about,  and  sailing  before  the  wind  quickly  reached 
the  leeward  side  of  the  island,  where,  under  the  re- 
viving influence  of  calmer  water,  we  determined  to 
revisit  the  Gannets,  this  time,  however,  by  land. 

Disembarking  at  the  fishing  village,  which  is 
situated  on  the  west  side  of  Bonaventure,  we  were 
soon  in  the  spruce  and  balsam  forests,  which  occupy 
all  but  the  borders  of  the  island,  here  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  in  width.  The  change  from  the  turmoil 


142 


BIRD  STUDIES   WITH  A  CAMERA 


and  vastness  of  the  sea  to  the  quiet  and  seclusion 
of  the  forest  made  the  previous  hour's  experience 
seem  distant  and  unreal.  The  wind  which  had 
roared  through  our  rigging  now  breathed  peacefully 
through  the  tree  tops ;  the  heaving,  frothy  sea  was 
replaced  by  stable  earth,  wondrously  carpeted  with 
snow-white  cornel  and  dainty  twin-flowers  ;76  instead 
of  the  harsh  cries  of  the  Gannets,  we  heard  the  Ave 
Maria  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow.  Rarely  have 


76.  Cornel  or  bunchberry. 

the  woods  seemed  so  beautiful.  Approaching  the 
eastern  cliffs,  the  trees  became  dwarfed  and  singu- 
larly malformed  by  the  winds.  Finally  they  disap- 
peared altogether,  and  were  succeeded  by  fields  blue 
with  iris.  Never  have  I  seen  this  plant  so  abundant. 
There  were  acres  of  flowers  reaching  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  cliffs,  where,  with  only  a  change  in  the 
tint,  the  blue  of  the  iris  faded  into  the  blue  of 
the  sea. 


PERCE  AND  BONA VENTURE  143 

We  were  now  nearing  the  Gannets ;  desiring  to 
secure  a  picture  of  a  fully  occupied  ledge,  I  urged 
due  caution,  and  advanced  quietly  to  the  edge  of 
the  cliff.  The  point  was  well  chosen — almost  di- 
rectly beneath  us,  and  about  halfway  down  to  the 
sea,  there  being  a  broad,  rocky  shelf  so  thickly 
dotted  with  nesting  Gannets  that  every  bird  in  the 
group  was  within  reach  of  his  immediately  sur- 
rounding fellows.77  It  was  an  astonishing  picture 
of  bird  life,  but  only  a  fragment  of  what  we  had 
beheld  from  the  sea.  Under  the  circumstances, 
however,  this  fragment  brought  more  satisfaction 
than  had  been  before  received  from  the  entire  Gan- 
net  colony. 

The  4X5"  Premo  "  was  now  erected,  care  being 
taken  to  make  no  move  which  would  alarm  the 
birds,  and  several  exposures  were  made  at  leisure. 
Then  changing  the  lens  to  an  old  "Henry  Clay," 
and  attaching  several  elastics  to  the  shutter,  I  pre- 
pared to  make  a  flight  picture  of  the  birds  as,  at  the 
report  of  my  gun,  they  left  their  nests.  All  ready, 
I  took  firm  hold  of  the  bulb  and  gave  the  word  to 
the  captain  to  fire. 

The  result  may  fairly  be  called  a  failure.  As  far 
as  we  could  determine,  the  birds  gave  no  evidence 
of  hearing  the  shot  or  the  others  which  followed,  and 
our  best  efforts  did  not  succeed  in  making  a  single 
Gannet  leave  its  nest.  Like  Darwin's  Hawk  and 
Moseley's  Penguins,  these  birds  seemed  happily 
ignorant  of  man  and  his  ways.  One  could  doubt- 
less descend  to  their  ledge  without  causing  them  to 
leave  it. 

It  is  conceivable  that  the  wearing  of  Gannets' 


PERCfi  AND  BONA VENTURE  145 

heads,  or  feet,  or  wings  may  some  day  become  fash- 
ionable, but  unless  the  demand  be  urgent  and  the 
price  sufficient  to  tempt  men  to  risk  their  lives,  the 
Gannets  will  long  continue  to  nest  on  the  cliffs  of 
Bonaventure. 


11 


THE  MAGDALENS 

[  ROM  Percd  to  the  Magdalens  by  sea 
is  about  a  hundred  and  twenty 
miles,  but  lacking  a  proper  vessel 
we  were  forced  to  return  to  Dal- 
housie  and  there  take  the  Inter- 
national Railroad  to  Pictou,  where 
a  weekly  steamer  leaves  for  Prince 
Edward  Island  and  the  "  Madalenes,"  as  the  natives 
call  them. 

The  journey  is  possessed  of  both  present  and 
historic  interest,  and  the  hospitality  for  which  the 
residents  of  Pictou  are  noted  assures  one  of  a  pleas- 
ant stay  in  their  picturesque  little  town.  Here  I 
met  a  veteran  ornithologist — James  McKinlay — who, 
although  over  threescore  and  ten  and  isolated  from 
others  of  kindred  tastes,  still  possesses  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  genuine  naturalist.  His  collection,  the  greater 
part  of  which  he  has  presented  to  the  Pictou  Acad- 
emy, contains,  among  other  birds,  a  Brown  Pelican, 
a  Corncrake,  and  a  Chuck-will's-widow — all  shot  in 
the  vicinity. 

The  Magdalen  steamer  is  neither  a  yacht  nor  an 
ocean  greyhound,  but  answers  very  well  for  the 
short  voyage  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  across 
the  gulf.  Pictou  was  left  at  noon,  and  the  following 
morning  we  awakened  to  find  the  steamer  at  anchor 
146 


THE  MAGDALENS  147 

off  an  island  with  red  sandstone  cliffs,  and  green 
fields  rising  gently  into  hills  clad  with  stunted 
spruce  forests.  This  was  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
long  sand  bar  which  joins  these  so-called  islands ;  and 
our  destination,  Grand  Entry,  near  the  northern  end 
of  the  chain,  was  reached  late  in  the  afternoon. 

At  this  point  we  embarked  in  a  small  sailboat, 
and  in  a  driving  rainstorm  flew  before  the  wind 
across  a  bay  two  miles  in  width,  and  up  an  arm  a 
mile  or  so  in  length,  to  the  settlement  of  Grosse  Isle, 
on  the  island  of  the  same  name.  The  tide  was  out ; 
Black-backed  Gulls  were  feeding  on  the  flats,  and 
Gannets  fishing  in  the  deeper  water  ;  Guillemots  rose 
before  the  boat ;  a  seal  showed  itself  for  a  moment 
and  disappeared — moving  figures  in  a  picture  which 
impressed  itself  very  vividly  on  my  memory.  A 
landing  was  made  with  difficulty,  and  a  walk  of 
nearly  a  mile  through  the  scrubby  spruces  brought 
us  to  the  home  of  the  fisher  folk,  who  had  agreed  to 
take  us  in. 

If  Percd  is  isolated,  Grosse  Isle  is  in  another 
sphere.  Even  the  weekly  steamer  which  plies  be- 
tween Pictou  and  the  Magdalens  from  May  to  No- 
vember comes  no  nearer  than  Grand  Entry,  and  its 
arrival  seemed  a  rather  vague  incident,  made  real 
only  by  the  appearance  of  mail. 

The  lobster  season  had  just  closed,  the  "  pots " 
were  piled  in  heaps  on  the  beaches,  and  mackerel 
fishing  was  now  the  presumable  industry  of  the  male 
population  of  Grosse  Isle.  But  few  fish  were  run- 
ning, and  each  day  boat  after  boat  of  glum-looking 
men  came  in  from  the  sea  with  often  only  a  few  cod 
to  show  for  their  labor.  This,  however,  was  midsum- 


148 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 


mer,  and  the  Grosse  Isle  "  season  "  was  in  full  swing. 
There  was  a  school  picnic  one  day  ;  on  another,  serv- 
ice was  held  in  the  little  white  church  on  the  hill- 
side ;  but,  as  I  considered  the  deathlike  quiet  which, 
as  a  rule,  reigned  in  the  village,  I  wondered  what 
life  must  be  there  in  winter.  Then  the  entire  Mag- 
dalen group  is  frozen  in  a  sea  of  ice,  which  renders 
communication  with  the  mainland  (except  by  cable, 

generally  out  of 
repair)  impossi- 
ble. When  the 
ice  breaks  in  the 
spring,  seals  ap- 
pear and  furnish 
a  hazardous  occu- 
pation to  those 
who  are  venture- 
some enough  to 
go  in  pursuit  of 
them — a  form  of 
sport  which  I  im- 
agine is  eagerly 
welcomed  after 
the  lethargy  of 
winter.  With  us 
the  Magdalen  s 
were  only  a  step- 
ping -  stone  to 
Bird  Rock,  but 
while  preparing  for  the  continuation  of  our  jour- 
ney to  that  point  we  took  some  note  of  our  sur- 
roundings. 

The  Magdalens  have  an  interesting  avifauna,  but 


78.   Nest  and  eggs  of  Fox  Sparrow. 


THE  MAGDALENS  149 

it  was  now  the  latter  half  of  July  and  the  song  sea- 
son of  most  species  was  over.  Fox  Sparrows,  how- 
ever, were  still  singing,  and  their  clear,  ringing 
whistle  came  from  the  spruces  all  about.  The  fogs, 
so  characteristic  of  the  region,  seemed  in  no  way  to 
dampen  their  spirits,  and  when  the  gray  mists  closed 
in  thick  about  us  their  notes  rang  out  as  cheerily  as 
though  the  sun  shone  from  a  blue  sky. 

My  short  excursions,  however,  were  largely  made 
along  the  beaches  in  search  of  some  sea  waif,  and 
for  the  shore  birds  that  would  soon  migrate  through 
these  islands  in  large  numbers,  or  to  the  cliffs  where 
the  Guillemots  were  nesting.  The  latter  were  com- 
parative strangers  to  me,  and  I  had  not  become 
accustomed  to  the  plump,  black,  white-winged,  little 
birds  that  sat  so  lightly  on  the  water.  They  nest  in 
scattered  pairs,  in  crevices,  in  the  face  of  the  cliffs, 
where  my  guide,  Mr.  Shelbourue,  a  resident  col- 
lector, was  particularly  apt  at  discovering  them. 

Grosse  Isle  is  not  beyond  the  range  of  the  nest- 
robbing  small  boy,  and  only  the  few  Guillemots  that 
had  contrived  to  escape  him  now  had  young.  They 
were  feeding  them  on  sand  eels,  and  with  bills  full 
of  their  shining  prey  made  frequent  visits  to  their 
nests.  The  young  varied  in  development  from  those 
as  yet  covered  only  with  the  scanty  natal  down  to 
others  half  grown  and  with  the  black  and  white 
second  plumage  appearing  beneath.  They  were  ac- 
tive enough  to  test  the  temper  of  the  most  patient 
bird  photographer,  and  the  accompanying  picture 
was  secured  only  after  many  trials.79 

In  the  meantime  we  were  endeavoring  to  make 
some  arrangements  for  our  voyage  to  the  Rock, 


150 


BIRD   STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 


which  on  clear  days  could  be  seen  from  the  tops  of 
the  higher  hills — a  hazy  dot  in  the  sea.  Imagination 
peopled  the  view  with  Cartier,  Audubon,  and  his 
successors,  and  I  could  scarcely  believe  that  the 
scene  of  the  wonders  they  had  described  was  actu- 


ally  on  my  horizon.  But,  although  only  twenty 
miles  away,  Bird  Rock  now  seemed  more  distant 
than  before  we  had  taken  the  first  step  of  our  jour- 
ney. This  in  a  measure  is  due  to  the  uncertainty  of 
gulf  weather,  the  strong  tides,  the  sudden  and  severe 


THE  MAGDALENS  151 

squalls,  the  prevalence  of  fogs,  and  the  surprising 
rapidity  with  which  the  latter  change  a  sunlit  hori- 
zon to  closely  crowding  gray  walls — all  of  which 
make  navigation  in  these  waters  more  than  usually 
dangerous.  Furthermore,  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  Bird  Rock  is  not  a  port  in  which  one  could  seek 
safety  from  a  storm,  but  a  spot  to  be  approached 
only  in  the  calmest  weather.  One  might  therefore 
start  for  the  Rock  under  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions, be  caught  in  a  squall  and,  as  a  result,  find  one's 
self  at  sea  with  the  recently  desired  haven  changed 
to  an  element  of  danger. 

With  the  Rock  glimmering  in  the  sunlight  and 
apparently  almost  within  reach,  it  was  not  easy  to 
believe  tales  of  disaster  which  had  befallen  those 
who  in  small  boats  had  attempted  to  reach  it,  and  I 
was  more  impressed  with  its  inaccessibility  by  the 
fact  that  only  one  of  the  many  fishermen  with  whom 
I  talked,  had  ever  landed  on  this  inhospitable  resort 
of  sea  birds. 

This  man  proved  a  friend  in  need — one  Captain 
Hubbard  Taker,  of  the  thirty-ton  schooner  Sea  Gem. 
I  commend  him  to  every  visitor  to  the  Magdalens 
as  a  man  and  a  sailor.  It  was  when  the  difficulties 
of  reaching  the  Rock  by  small  boat  appeared  insur- 
mountable that  Captain  Taker  returned  from  a  fish- 
ing trip  to  the  Labrador  coast.  He  proved  to  be 
one  of  those  rare  but  exceedingly  satisfactory  indi- 
viduals with  whom  anything  is  possible,  or  at  least 
who  believes  it  is  until  the  contrary  is  shown.  Could 
he  take  us  to  Bird  Rock  ?  "  Why,  of  course ;  and 
whenever  you  are  ready."  So  without  delay  we 
boarded  the  Sea  Gem. 


BIRD  ROCK 

F  as  a  result  of  a  conference  be- 
tween the  birds  and  the  Audubon 
Society  a  home  were  to  be  selected 
which  should  prove  a  secure  re- 
treat for  certain  of  the  feathered 
kind,  I  imagine  that  Bird  Rock, 
in  its  primal  condition,  would 
have  admirably  filled  the  requirements  set  forth  by 
both  conferees. 

With  precipitous,  rocky  walls  weathered  into 
innumerable  ledges,  shelves,  and  crevices— all  fit 
nesting  sites — one  might  think  of  it  as  a  colossal 
lodging  house  for  the  countless  sea-bird  tenants  who 
find  here  not  only  a  suitable  place  for  the  reproduc- 
tion of  their  young,  but  in  the  surrounding  waters 
an  abundant  and  unfailing  supply  of  food.  Add 
to  these  conditions  the  Rock's  isolation  and  inac- 
cessibility, its  shoreless  outline,  and  the  difficulty 
with  which  it  may  be  ascended,  and  we  have  indeed 
an  ideal  refuge  for  sea  fowl,  one  in  which,  unless 
they  were  subjected  to  special  persecution,  they 
might  have  continued  to  exist  for  centuries,  had  not 
the  transforming  influences  of  civilization  reached 
even  to  this  isle  of  the  sea. 

Bird  Rock  is  about  fifty  miles  northwest  of  Cape 
Breton,  the  nearest  mainland,  and  twelve  east  of 


BIRD   ROCK 


153 


Bryon  Island,  its  next  neighbor  in  the  Magdalen 
group,  to  which  it  belongs.  It  is  three  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  long,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  forty 
yards  wide,  and  rises  abruptly  from  the  sea  to  a 
height  of  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  forty  feet. 
Its  outline,  the  nature  of  its  base,  sides,  and  summit 
are  well  indicated  by  the  accompanying  pictures. 


' 


80.    Bird  Rock  from  the  southwest ;   distant  about  one  half  a  mile. 

Three  quarters  of  a  mile  northeast  of  Bird  Rock, 
or  Great  Bird,  as  it  is  more  specifically  called,  lies 
Little  Bird,  a  red  sandstone  rock  which  at  high  tide, 
or  from  a  distance,  appears  as  two.  The  shallow 
water  between  Great  and  Little  Birds  suggests  the 


154:  BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 

possibility  of  a  past  connection  and  the  probability 
that  in  some  future  geological  age  the  waves  will 
have  completed  their  work  of  destruction,  when  both 
islands  will  have  disappeared. 

The  history  of  these  bird-inhabited  islands  is 
interesting,  and  gives  us  some  information  of  the 
changes  which  man  has  wrought  in  their  bird  life. 
It  begins  with  the  account  given  by  Jacques  Cartier 
of  his  voyage  to  Canada  in  1534.  Of  the  Bird  Rocks 
he  wrote  :  "  We  came  to  three  islands,  two  of  which 
are  as  steep  and  upright  as  any  wall,  so  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  climb  them,  and  between  them  is  a  lit- 
tle rock.  These  islands  were  as  full  of  birds  as  any 
meadow  is  of  grass,  which  there  do  make  their  nests, 
and  in  the  greatest  of  them  there  was  a  great  and 
infinite  number  of  those  that  we  called  Margaulx, 
that  are  white  and  bigger  than  any  geese,  which 
were  severed  in  one  part.  In  the  other  were  only 
Godetz,  but  toward  the  shore  there  were  of  those 
Godetz  and  great  Apponatz,  like  to  those  of  that 
island  that  we  above  have  mentioned.  We  went 
down  to  the  lowest  part  of  the  least  island,  where 
we  killed  above  a  thousand  of  those  Godetz  and 
Apponatz.  We  put  into  our  boats  as  many  as  we 
pleased,  for  in  less  than  one  hour  we  might  have 
filled  thirty  such  boats  of  them.  We  named  them 
the  islands  of  the  Margaulx." 

Concerning  this  quotation  Mr.  F.  A.  Lucas  re- 
marks (The  Auk,  v,  1888,  page  129) :  "  While  this 
description,  as  well  as  the  sentences  which  imme- 
diately precede  it,  contains  some  statements  that 
apparently  are  at  variance  with  existing  facts,  there 
is  nevertheless  good  reason  to  believe  that  Cartier 


BIRD  ROCK  155 

here  refers  to  the  Bird  Rocks  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence. The  birds  called  Margaulx,  which  bite  even 
as  dogs,  were  Gannets,  whose  descendants,  in  spite 
of  centuries  of  persecution,  are  to  be  found  to-day 
nesting  where  their  ancestors  did  before  them. 

"  That  Cartier's  description  does  not  accord  with 
their  present  appearance  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
The  material  of  which  they  are  composed  is  of  a 
soft,  decomposing,  red  sandstone  that  succumbs  so 
easily  to  the  incessant  attacks  of  the  sea  that  Dr. 
Bryant's  description  of  them  in  1860  does  not  hold 
good  to-day.  If,  then,  the  Bird  Rocks  have  under- 
gone visible  changes  in  twenty-five  years,  it  is  easy 
to  imagine  how  great  alterations  the  islets  may  have 
undergone  during  three  and  a  quarter  centuries." 

Examination  of  the  narratives  left  by  other  early 
voyagers  in  this  region  would  yield  further  infor- 
mation concerning  the  Rocks  and  the  destruction 
of  its  inhabitants ;  but  passing  to  records  of  greater 
ornithological  value,  we  find  that  Audubon,  whose 
energy  in  exploration  no  ornithologist  has  ever  sur- 
passed, was  the  first  naturalist  beholding  Bird  Rock 
to  leave  us  a  description  of  its  wonders.  It  was' 
during  his  cruise  to  Labrador  in  the  schooner  Rip- 
ley  that  he  wrote  in  his  journal,  under  date  of  June 
14,  1833,  the  following  graphic  account  of  the  day's 
experiences : 

"  About  ten  a  speck  rose  on  the  horizon,  which 
I  was  told  was  the  Rock.  We  sailed  well,  the  breeze 
increased  fast,  and  we  neared  this  object  apace.  At 
eleven  I  could  distinguish  its  top  plainly  from  the 
deck,  and  thought  it  covered  with  snow  to  the  depth 
of  several  feet;  this  appearance  existed  on  every 


81.  North  side  of  the  Rock,  west  of  the  crane. 


BIRD  ROCK  157 

portion  of  the  flat,  projecting  shelves.  Godwin 
said,  with  the  coolness  of  a  man  who  had  visited  this 
Rock  for  ten  successive  seasons,  that  what  we  saw 
was  not  snow,  but  Gannets.  I  rubbed  my  eyes,  took 
my  spyglass,  and  in  an  instant  the  strangest  picture 
stood  before  me.  They  were  birds  we  saw — a  mass 
of  birds  of  such  a  size  as  I  never  before  cast  my 
eyes  on.  The  whole  of  my  party  stood  astounded 
and  amazed,  and  all  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
such  a  sight  was  of  itself  sufficient  to  invite  any  one 
to  come  across  the  gulf  to  view  it  at  this  season. 
The  nearer  we  approached  the  greater  our  surprise 
at  the  enormous  number  of  these  birds,  all  calmly 
seated  on  their  eggs  or  newly  hatched  brood,  their 
heads  all  turned  to  windward  and  toward  us.  The 
air  above  for  a  hundred  yards,  and  for  some  dis- 
tance around  the  whole  Rock,  was  filled  with  Gan- 
nets on  the  wing,  which,  from  our  position,  made  it 
appear  as  if  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  was  directly  above 
us."  (Audubon  and  his  Journals,  i,  p.  360.) 

From  his  pilot,  Godwin,  Audubon  secured  some 
information  concerning  the  Gannets  that  then 
nested  on  the  top  of  the  Rock.  He  writes :  "  The 
whole  surface  is  perfectly  covered  with  nests,  placed 
about  two  feet  apart,  in  such  regular  order  that  you 
may  look  through  the  lines  as  you  would  look 
through  those  of  a  planted  patch  of  sweet  potatoes 
or  cabbages.  The  fishermen  who  kill  these  birds  to 
get  their  flesh  for  codfish  bait  ascend  in  parties  of 
six  or  eight,  armed  with  clubs;  sometimes,  indeed, 
the  party  comprises  the  crews  of  several  vessels. 
As  they  reach  the  top,  the  birds,  alarmed,  rise 
with  a  noise  like  thunder,  and  fly  off  in  such  a 


158  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

hurried,  fearful  confusion  as  to  throw  each  other 
down,  often  falling  on  each  other  until  there  is  a 
bank  of  them  many  fe^et  high.  The  men  strike 
them  down  and  kill  them  until  fatigued  or  satisfied. 
Five  hundred  and  forty  have  been  thus  murdered 
in  one  hour  by  six  men.  The  birds  are  skinned 
with  little  care,  and  the  flesh  cut  oft'  in  chunks ;  it 
will  keep  fresh  about  a  fortnight.  So  great  is  the 
destruction  of  these  birds  annually  that  their  flesh 
supplies  the  bait  for  upward  of  forty  fishing  boats 
which  lie  close  to  Bryon  Island,  each  summer." 

This  slaughter  was  evidently  attended  by  some 
danger,  for  not  only  did  the  sitting  birds  bite  vi- 
ciously, but  old  fishermen  in  the  Magdalen s  state 
that  if  the  invader  of  the  Gannets'  domain  on  the 
summit  of  the  Rock  should  have  happened  to  be 
caught  in  a  rush  of  stampeded  birds,  he  could  with 
difficulty  have  avoided  being  carried  off  the  edge  of 
the  cliff. 

In  concluding  his  description  of  the  Rock,  Audu- 
bon  says :  "  No  man  who  has  not  seen  what  we  have 
this  day  can  form  the  least  idea  of  the  impression 
the  sight  made  on  our  minds."  One  need  not  be  a 
naturalist,  therefore,  to  realize  the  depth  of  his  dis- 
appointment when  the  pilot  told  him  that  the  wind 
was  too  high  to  permit  them  to  land  on  the  Rock. 
However,  they  did  not  leave  without  at  least  mak- 
ing an  attempt.  A  boat  was  launched,  manned  by 
the  pilot,  two  sailors,  Audubon's  son  John,  and  Tom 
Lincoln,  for  whom  Lincoln's  Finch,  discovered  sub- 
sequently in  Labrador,  was  named ;  but  after  an 
hour's  absence  they  returned  without  having  made 
a  landing,  and  the  increasing  force  of  the  wind  com- 


BIRD  ROCK  159 

pelled  them  to  continue  their  voyage  to  the  north- 
ward. 

Apparently  the  first  naturalist  to  set  foot  on 
Bird  Rock  was  Dr.  Henry  Bryant,  of  Boston,  who 
landed  there  June  23,  1860.  This  was  before  the 
days  of  the  lighthouse,  and  Dr.  Bryant  reached  the 
top  of  the  Rock  only  after  a  climb  which  he  charac- 
terizes as  both  "  difficult  and  dangerous."  In  addi- 
tion to  the  Gannets,  which  he  found  resting  on  the 
ledges  on  the  face  of  the  Rock,  he  found  these  birds 
nesting  over  the  entire  northerly  half  of  the  sum- 
mit, and  after  measuring  the  surface  occupied  by 
them,  he  estimated  that  this  one  colony  alone  con- 
tained no  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  birds, 
while  the  number  living  on  the  sides  of  the  Rock 
and  Little  Bird  he  placed  at  fifty  thousand. 

The  position  of  the  Rock,  at  the  gateway  to 
Canadian  ports,  makes  it  particularly  dangerous  to 
vessels  plying  in  these  waters,  and  in  1869  a  light- 
house was  erected  on  its  summit.  While  construct- 
ing the  light  keeper's  dwelling  and  storehouses,  the 
Government  built  two  cranes— one  on  the  north- 
erly, the  other  on  the  southerly  side  of  the  Rock — for 
use  in  hoisting  supplies.  There  are  also  now  three 
other  places  where  by  means  of  ladders  and  ropes 
one  may  ascend.  The  top  of  the  Rock  was  thus 
made  more  accessible,  and  the  birds  were  conse- 
quently less  protected  from  the  attacks  of  fisher- 
men. It  is  said,  also,  that  the  light  keepers  did  not 
appreciate  the  companionship  of  the  Gannets,  and 
made  special  efforts  to  drive  the  birds  from  the 
nesting  site  which  they  so  long  had  held  undis- 
turbed. 


160 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


Hence,  when  Mr.  C.  J.  Maynard  visited  the  Rock 
in  1872,  he  found  that  the  colony  of  Gannets  on  its 
summit  contained  only  five  thousand  birds,  which, 
nine  years  later,  Mr.  William  Brewster  reports  had 
decreased  to  fifty  pairs.  Mr.  Brewster  also  noted  a 


82.  A  corner  of  the  Kock. 

fresh  cause  for  the  destruction  of  the  eggs  of  the 
birds  nesting  on  the  sides  of  the  Rock,  in  the  shape 
of  a  cannon  which  had  been  introduced  shortly  be- 
fore his  visit.  He  writes :  "  At  each  discharge  the 
frightened  Murres  fly  from  the  Rock  in  clouds, 


BIRD  ROCK  igi 

nearly  every  sitting  bird  taking  its  egg  into  the  air 
between  its  thighs  and  dropping  it  after  flying  a 
few  yards.  This  was  repeatedly  observed  during  our 
visit,  and  more  than  once  a  perfect  shower  of  eggs 
fell  into  the  water  about  our  boat."  While  the 
birds  have  become  comparatively  accustomed  to  the 
report  of  the  guncotton  bomb,  which  has  succeeded 
the  cannon,  large  numbers  still  leave  the  Rock  each 
time  a  bomb  is  exploded,  so  that  it  continues  to  be  a 
means  of  destroying  not  only  eggs  but  young  birds, 
which  are  carried  off  the  narrow  ledges  by  the  pre- 
cipitous flight  of  their  parents. 

Since  that  date  (1881)  Cory,  Lucas,  Palmer,  Bish- 
op, and  doubtless  others,  have  visited  Bird  Rock, 
but  with  the  entire  disappearance  of  the  Gannets 
from  its  summit  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  esti- 
mate the  further  decrease  in  the  number  of  its 
feathered  inhabitants. 

In  spite  of  the  great  diminution  which  this  out- 
line of  its  history  shows  to  have  occurred  in  Bird 
Rock's  population,  the  casual  observer  of  to-day 
will  believe  with  difficulty  that  it  could  ever  have 
been  more  densely  inhabited.  It  is  still  one  of  the 
ornithological  wonders  of  our  Atlantic  coast,  and, 
comparatively  speaking,  as  well  worth  visiting  as  in 
the  time  of  Audubon. 

Writing  now  in  the  light  of  experience,  I  antici- 
pate a  return  to  Bird  Rock  with  even  more  enthusiasm 
than  I  felt  when  after  the  discouraging  uncertainties 
of  delay  we  boarded  the  Sea  Gem  on  the  afternoon 
of  July  23d,  and  with  a  fair  wind  set  sail  for  Bryon, 
where  we  were  to  anchor  for  the  night. 

What  a  stanch,  powerful  vessel  the  little  schooner 
12 


162  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

seemed  when  compared  with  the  fishing  boats  in 
which  we  had  at  first  prepared  to  make  the  voyage  ! 
Investigation  below,  however,  did  not  seem  to  offer 
prospects  of  undisturbed  repose,  and  reaching  Bryon 
late  in  the  afternoon  we  decided  to  go  ashore  and 
apply  to  the  island's  owner  for  a  night's  lodging. 
Bryon  Island,  with  its  several  thousand  acres  of 
stunted  spruce  and  balsam  forests,  its  rolling  pasture 
lands  and  grazing  cows  and  sheep,  its  precipitous 
red  sandstone  cliffs  rising  to  a  height  of  two  hundred 
feet  from  the  sea  and  furnishing  a  home  for  a  few 
Murres  and  Puffins,  is  the  property  of  one  man,  who 
purchased  it  from  the  Government  for  a  nominal 
sum.  A  lobster  cannery  furnishes  employment  for 
twoscore  or  more  itinerant  fishermen  and  laborers, 
who  after  the  lobstering  season  ends  in  July  remain 
for  the  mackerel  fishing.  When  they  have  departed 
the  population  of  Bryon  is  reduced  to  about  half  a 
dozen  families,  over  whom  the  owner  reigns  su- 
preme. 

We  landed  at  the  cannery  and  wended  our  way 
over  a  path  through  the  stunted  forests,  which  at 
the  end  of  a  mile  or  more  led  us  to  the  monarch's 
home— a  small  frame  house  adjoining  large  barns. 

The  ruler  of  Bryon  proved  to  be  absent  in  the 
Magdalens,  but  his  wife  made  us  both  welcome  and 
comfortable.  We  recall  with  pleasure  the  night 
passed  beneath  her  roof,  and  the  magnificent  view 
of  the  setting  sun  from  Bryon's  red  cliffs. 

We  awoke  in  the  clouds,  gulf  clouds,  which  so 
often  in  swift-spreading  banks  envelop  both  sea 
and  land  in  this  region.  It  was  ten  o'clock  before 
the  sun  could  force  its  way  through  them,  and  when 


BIRD  ROCK  163 

we  returned  to  the  Sea  Gem  we  found  the  captain 
impatient  at  our  tardiness.  We  explained  that  of 
course  we  did  not  suppose  that  he  would  care  to 
start  in  so  dense  a  fog,  but  he  laughed  at  us.  "  Fog ! " 
What  had  fog  to  do  with  sailing  when  the  wind  was 
favorable  ?  Later  he  gave  us  an  exhibition  of  sea- 
manship in  a  fog  which  deeply  engraved  the  name 
of  Captain  Taker  on  our  memories. 

However,  the  wind  still  held  from  the  right  quar- 
ter not  only  for  the  run  to  the  Rock,  but  for  a 
landing  on  its  one  bit  of  beach,  and  we  quickly 
hoisted  sail  for  this  last  stage  of  a  long  journey. 

For  two  hours  we  watched  the  Rock  grow  slowly 
larger,  then  its  outlines  more  rapidly  assumed  indi- 
viduality, the  lighthouse  and  other  buildings  on  its 
summit  took  definite  form,  its  rocky  ledges  were 
seen  to  be  lined  with  rows  of  white  Gannets,  and 
Bird  Rock  became  for  us  a  reality.  The  storm  of 
circling  birds  which  Audubon  described  is  not  to 
be  seen  to-day,  but  enough  are  left  to  quickly  ex- 
haust our  stock  of  adjectives. 

A  British  flag  was  displayed  from  the  tall  staff 
near  the  lighthouse.  If  it  had  been  marked  with 
stars  and  bars  it  would  have  looked  less  like  a  sig- 
nal set  as  a  greeting  from  the  island's  keeper  to  his 
unknown  guests. 

A  figure  on  the  rock  now  vigorously  motioned  us 
toward  its  only  landing  place,  and  heaving  to  the 
schooner  we  dropped  a  dory  overboard  and  sent 
Captain  Taker  ashore  as  our  emissary  to  treat  with 
the  representative  of  the  Canadian  Government,  and 
explain  to  him  that  through  the  courtesy  of  his 
chief,  the  Hon.  J.  U.  Gregory,  we  were  empowered 


164 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 


to  invade  the  territory  under  his  control.  At  the 
end  of  half  an  hour  a  large  dory,  manned  by  two 
oarsmen,  appeared  from  behind  the  Rock  and  headed 
for  the  schooner.  In  the  stern  was  Captain  Taker, 
in  the  bow  a  stranger  whose  face  was  eloquent  with 
an  unspoken  welcome.  This  was  Keeper  Captain 


The  landing  at  the  base  of  the  Eock,  showing  crate. 


Peter  Bourque.  If  we  had  been  at  the  head  of  the 
Lighthouse  Board  itself,  he  could  not  have  received 
us  more  cordially.  What  a  hunger  he  had  for  news ! 
Nearly  two  months  had  elapsed  since  he  had  heard 
from  the  world — months  rich  with  the  history  of  the 
defeat  of  Cervera  and  surrender  of  Santiago. 


BIRD  ROCK 


165 


Our  outfit  was  speedily  placed  in  the  dory,  and 
with  the  Rock  and  its  birds  now  looming  high  above 
us,  we  pulled  for  the  bit  of  rock-fringed  beach  which 


84.   The  lauding  on  top  of  the  Eock,  showing  crane.     The  Kittiwakes  at 
the  bottom  of  the  picture  are  shown  in  No.  85. 

constitutes  the  only  available  landing  place.  It  was 
already  evident  that  the  island  offered  endless  op- 
portunities to  the  bird  photographer,  and  as  each 


166  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

stroke  of  the  oars  brought  us  nearer  I  felt  a  sense 
of  exultation,  such  perhaps  as  a  miner  experiences 
when  he  discovers  that  his  claim  promises  an  as- 
sured fortune.  The  boat  was  beached  with  a  rush, 
and  landing  at  the  base  of  the  cliff,83  which  rose  like 
a  wall  somewhat  over  one  hundred  feet  above  us 
one  could  realize  the  danger  attending  an  attempt 
to  land  here  in  anything  but  the  calmest  weather. 
We  were  now  introduced  to  the  car  or  basket  in 
which  we  were  to  make  actually  the  final  stage  of 
our  journey.  It  seemed  a  frail,  cratelike  affair  of 
light  strips  of  wood,  and  measured  about  two  and  a 
half  feet  square  and  three  feet  high.  After  our 
cameras,  plates,  gun,  ammunition,  etc.,  had  been 
snugly  stowed,  we  obeyed  the  direction  to  enter  the 
crate  and  take  seats  on  bits  of  board  placed  across 
opposite  corners.  The  end  of  the  long,  dangling 
rope  was  attached,  in  response  to  Captain  Bourque's 
roaring  "  Hoist  away !  "  a  faint  reply  came  from  the 
tiny  figure  which  in  a  sickening  way  had  been  lean- 
ing over  the  edge  of  the  rock  above,  watching  our 
proceedings,  and  a  moment  later  the  rope  tightened, 
strained,  and  we  were  clear  of  the  ground  and  slowly 
rising.  A  long  experience  in  elevators  had  made  me 
anticipate  this  part  of  the  Bird  Rock  journey  with- 
out concern,  but  the  instant  after  the  ascent  began  I 
discovered  that  we  were  not  only  going  up  but 
around  as  well,  and  the  twisting  motion  was  so 
novel,  so  unlike  anything  to  which  I  had  previously 
been  accustomed,  that  I  confess  to  a  feeling  of  sur- 
prise, to  say  the  least.  The  sudden  jars,  as  the  rope 
in  winding  slipped  off  the  preceding  coil  and  dropped 
suddenly,  perhaps  an  inch,  gave  us  a  sufficiently 


BIRD   ROCK  167 

clear  idea  of  the  feelings  which  would  attend  the 
beginning  of  a  fall,  and  it  was  with  a  decided  sense 
of  having  had  a  narrow  escape  that,  on  being  hoisted 
slightly  above  the  level  of  the  summit  of  the  Rock, 
we  saw  the  arm  of  the  crane  M  pulled  inward,  bring- 
ing the  crate  over  the  land,  to  which  we  were  gently 
lowered. 

The  twenty  years  which  have  elapsed  since 
Cory  visited  the  Rock  have  reduced  the  time  re- 
quired for  the  ascent  from  twenty -seven  to  six 
minutes.  The  world  moves,  therefore,  even  at  Bird 
Rock. 

To  a  naturalist  this  slow  passage  through  the 
air,  about  six  feet  from  ledge  after  ledge,  crevice 
above  crevice,  filled  with  Kittiwakes,85  Murres,  and 
Razorbills,  with  great  white  banks  of  snowy  Gan- 
nets  on  either  side,  possesses  an  almost  stupefying 
fascination.  The  birds  were  so  abundant  and 
showed  such  entire  lack  of  fear,  I  seemed  to  have 
reached,  if  not  the  heart,  at  least  one  of  the  most 
important  centers  of  the  bird  world. 

Alighting  from  the  crate,  we  were  greeted  by 
Mr.  Bourque's  two  assistants  and  his  daughter,  a 
girl  of  sixteen,  who,  with  a  third  assistant,  now 
absent  on  leave,  completed  the  population  of  the 
island.  There  should  be  added,  however,  one  cow — 
an  important  member  of  the  Rock  colony,  who  had 
reached  her  elevated  position  in  life  by  means  of  the 
same  apparatus  with  which  we  had  just  gratefully 
parted  company.  Numerous  buildings,86  which  we 
had  barely  noticed  from  the  sea,  were  found  to  form 
a  miniature  village  on  the  grassy,  nearly  level  sum- 
mit of  the  Rock,  giving  to  the  scene  an  atmosphere 


BIRD  ROCK 


169 


of  comfort  and  homeliness  which  strongly  empha- 
sized one's  sense  of  isolation. 

The  favorable  light  prevailing  at  the  time  of  our 
arrival  was  far  too  valuable  to  be  used  for  anything 
but  photography.  No  sooner,  therefore,  was  our 
luggage  removed  from  the  crate  than,  without  wait- 


so.   The  lighthouse,  keeper's  dwelling,  and  other  buildings. 

ing  to  inspect  our  quarters,  I  made  ready  the  cam- 
eras and  plate-holders.  The  latter,  numbering 
twenty-one,  furnished  forty-two  glass  plates.  I 
wished  for  twice  that  number  before  the  day  ended. 
Going  to  the  western  end  of  the  Rock,  now  brightly 
illumined  by  the  afternoon  sun,  I  found  that  the 
jutting,  shaly  ledges  permitted  one  to  descend  eas- 
ily, and  in  a  moment  I  was  in  the  midst  of  groups1 
of  Puffins,  Razorbills,  Briinnich's  and  Common 
Murres,  who  apparently  regarded  me  with  as  much 
surprise  and  interest  as  I  did  them,  and  exhibited 


170 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


an  astonishing  confidence  in  mankind.  In  fact,  I 
was  at  times  vigorously  scolded  by  some  Murre 
parent,  who  waddled  toward  me,  bobbing  her  head, 


87.   Kazorbilled  Auks  and  "Kinged"  Murre.     x  3. 

and  uttering  a  series  of  protesting  murres  in  a  tone 
so  like  that  of  a  bass- voiced  man,  I  half  expected  a 
larger  biped  to  appear. 

The  Razorbills  were  fully  as  tame,  sometimes 
leaving  their  crevices  in  the  cliff  and,  with  a  hoarse 
croak,  almost  flying  in  my  face,  while  the  Puffins 
exhibited  a  spirit  of  combined  indifference  and  inde- 
pendence, which  plainly  said,  "  This  Rock  is  ours." 

I  sat  down  on  a  convenient  ledge,  and  as  the 
birds  gathered  about  me  in  rows  and  groups  on  the 
border  of  the  cliff,  its  ledges  and  projections,  I 
seemed  almost  to  be  on  speaking  terms  with  them. 


BIRD  ROCK  171 

So  unusual  and  pleasing  was  this  experience  of  hav- 
ing birds  admit  me  at  once  to  the  inner  circles  of 
their  society  that  I  felt  as  though  I  had  indeed  been 
initiated  into  their  ranks ;  and  my  enjoyment  of  the 
strange  scene  was  heightened  tenfold  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  I  could  satisfactorily  record  it.  So  I  pre- 
pared the  twin-lens — a  camera  exactly  adapted  to  my 
present  needs — and  at  a  distance  of  twenty  feet  or 
thereabouts  loaded  and  fired  as  many  times  as  I 
pleased,  with  the  birds  none  the  wiser,  and  offering 
me  each  moment  some  new  picture  differing  in  com- 
position from  the  last.  Here  was  a  triumph  for  the 
bird  photographer.  Who  so  nearly  could  have  done 
justice  to  the  subject  ?  The  taxidermist  ?  One  shot 
would  have  broken  the  spell  ?  The  artist  ?  Whose 
pencil  could  compete  with  the  lens  in  the  convin- 
cing realism  of  its  impression  ? 

But  as  yet  I  had  seen  only  a  fragment  of  the 
Rock.  Climbing,  therefore,  from  ledge  to  ledge,  I 
reached  a  corner  where  an  abrupt  turn  exposed  a 
great  expanse  of  perpendicular  wall  so  inaccessible 
to  man  that  it  had  become  a  favorite  nesting  site  for 
the  birds.82  Here  were  gathered  Gannets,  Murres, 
Razorbills,  and  Kittiwakes,  distributed  singly  or  in 
rows,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  shelves  or  ledges 
on  which  they  were  nesting,  the, Gannets  taking  the 
widest,  the  Murres  and  Kittiwakes  the  narrowest 
ledges,  while  the  Razorbills  sought  the  more  shel- 
tered crevices. 

What  noise  and  seeming  confusion  were  here ! 
A  never-ceasing  chorus  in  which  the  loud,  grating 
gor-r-r-rok,  gor-r-r  rok  of  the  Gannets  predominated, 
while  the  singularly  human  call  of  the  Murres  and 


1Y2 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


the  hoarse  note  of  the  Razorbills  formed  an  accom- 
paniment. Occasionally  the  Kitti  wakes  found  cause 
for  excitement,  and  hundreds  of  birds  swooped  down- 
ward from  their  nests  and  circled  about,  calling  their 


Puffins. 


rapidly  uttered,  distinctly  enunciated  kit-ti-wake,  kit- 
ti-wake. 

In  addition  to  the  great  number  of  birds  resting 
or  nesting  on  the  Rock,  an  endless  procession  of  Gan- 
nets,  Puffins,  and  Razorbills  were  flying  around,  but 
never  over  it.  Unconsciously  one  expected  a  pause 
in  this  whirling  throng,  but  although  its  numbers 
fluctuated,  birds  were  always  passing.  The  expo- 
sure of  my  last  plate  recalled  me  to  a  sense  of  other 
duties,  and  when  I  had  returned  to  the  little  group 


BIRD  ROCK  1Y3 

of  buildings  with  their  inhabitants,  I  seemed  to  have 
been  in  another  sphere. 

My  object  in  visiting  Bird  Rock  was  not  only  to 
secure  pictures  of  its  bird  life,  but  a  certain  number 
of  birds  for  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, where  it  is  proposed  to  represent  a  portion  of 
the  Rock  with  its  tenants.  During  my  absence  in 
the  world  of  birds  my  good  assistant  had  turned  one 
of  the  supply  houses  into  a  laboratory,  and  was 
already  at  work  preparing  specimens  with  which 
the  active  Shelbourne  and  attentive  keepers  had 
plentifully  supplied  her. 

A  gun  was  necessary  only  in  securing  Gannets 
and  Kittiwakes,  the  Murres  and  Razorbills  being 
caught  in  a  dip-net  by  the  keepers;  one  of  whom, 
having  a  rope  about  his  waist  which  was  held  by  his 
associate,  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff  or  "  cape," 
as  it  is  termed  locally,  and  looked  cautiously  over  in 
quest  of  the  birds  resting  on  the  ledges  immediately 
below.  Having  learned  their  position  the  net  was 
thrust  quickly  downward,  and  the  birds,  in  attempt- 
ing to  escape,  often  flew  directly  into  it  and  became 
entangled  in  its  meshes.  Puffins  were  captured  on 
their  nests  in  crevices  in  the  face  of  the  Rock  or  in 
the  holes  they  had  burrowed  in  the  earth  on  the 
top.  The  latter  were  sometimes  shared  with  Leach's 
Petrel,  who  also  occupied  small  burrows  of  their 
own. 

The  schooner  had  dropped  anchor  near  the  Rock, 
but  the  wind  increasing  in  strength,  Captain  Taker 
set  sail  for  the  lee  of  Bryon,  and  at  midnight,  when 
we  concluded  our  day's  work,  there  was  a  promise  of 
a  stormy  morrow,  which  daylight  fulfilled.  The 


174 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


wind  drove  the  waves  to  the  rock-set  base  of  our 
islet  with  terrific  force,  making  landing  or  departure 
out  of  the  question.  We  had  come  just  in  time. 
The  light  prohibited  successful  photography,  and 
the  day  was  devoted  to  collecting  and  preserving 
specimens  and  exploring  the  Rock. 

We  had  arrived  in  the  height  of  the  nesting  sea- 
son, all  of  the  seven  species  breeding  on  the  Rock 
having  eggs  and  young  in  various  stages  of  develop- 
ment. It  was  evident,  however,  that  the  number  of 
eggs  and  young  was  small  as  compared  with  the 
number  of  adults,  a  condition  which  was  explained 
by  Captain  Bourque's  statement,  that  he  thought 
about  five  thousand  eggs  had  been  taken  from  the 
Rock  by  fishermen  that  year.  These  were  the  eggs 

of  Murres  and  Razor- 
bills, the  former  being 
the  most  abundant 
birds  on  the  Rock. 
Both  the  Common 
and  Brimnich's  Murre 
were  present,  but  I  am 
unable  to  say  which 
was  the  more  numer- 
ous. There  were  also  a 
few  of  the  singular,  so- 
called  "Ringed"  Mur- 
res,87 a  bird  whose 
standing  is  in  doubt, 
some  ornithologists  regarding  it  as  a  distinct  spe- 
cies, others  as  an  individual  variety. 

Both  species  of  Murre  laid  their  single  peculiarly 
marked  eggs  on  the  bare  shelves  or  ledges  in  the 


89.   Murre's  egg. 


BIRD  ROCK 


175 


most  exposed  situations  ;8?  and  seeing  them  now  for 
the  first  time  in  Nature,  I  was  quite  willing  to  accept 
the  theory  which  has  been  advanced  to  account  for 
their  markedly  toplike  or  pearlike  shape.  A  round 
or  elliptical  egg,  laid  in  the  situations  often  chosen 
by  the  Murres, 
would,  when 
moved  by  the 
wind  or  incubat- 
ing bird,  readily 
roll  from  its  pre- 
carious position, 
but  the  pointed 
egg  of  the  Murre 
when  disturbed 
describes  a  circle 
about  its  own  end. 
Thus,  like  a  dip- 
lomat, it  seeming- 
ly yields  to  supe- 
rior force  while 

retaining  its  Orig-  90.   Young  Murres  and  egg. 

malposition.  The 

eggs  vary  in  color  from  greenish  blue  to  buff,  and 
are  strikingly  scrawled  and  blotched  with  shades 
of  chocolate.  No  two  are  alike,  a  fact  which  it  is 
supposed  may  aid  the  parent  Murre  in  distinguish- 
ing her  own  egg  among  the  dozens  with  which  it 
may  be  placed. 

The  few  eggs  seen  were  doubtless  laid  by  birds 
which  had  been  robbed  earlier  in  the  season,  but 
young  were  found  in  every  stage,  from  the  newly 
hatched  downy  chick,90  who  sat  an  his  narrow  ledge 


176 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


vigorously  screeching  for  food,  to  others  half  grown 
and  with  the  natal  down  almost  entirely  replaced  by 
the  first  winter  plumage.  The  parents  were  still  in 
attendance  on  the  oldest  birds,  and  no  young  were 
seen  in  the  water. 


91.   Kittiwakes  and  young  on  nest.    From  the 
of  No.  85. 


I'lil  urged 


Razorbills,  perhaps  because  the  Rock  contained 
comparatively  few  of  the  sheltered  nooks  they  re- 
quire for  nesting  sites,  were  less  abundant  than 
Murres.  Their  downy  young  were  much  lighter  in 
color  than  the  young  of  the  Murres,  and  their  high 
squealing  whistle  could  easily  be  distinguished  from 
the  screech  of  the  young  Murres.  Of  two  specimens 
which  had  nearly  completed  the  acquisition  of  their 
winter  plumage,  one  had  the  white  line  from  the  eye 
to  the  bill  so  characteristic  of  the  adult  fully  devel- 
oped, while  in  the  other  it  was  wholly  wanting — a 


BIED  ROCK  17Y 

variability  in  marking  which  suggests  that  the 
white  stripe  of  the  Ringed  Murre  is  a  similar  indi- 
vidual peculiarity. 

Next  to  the  Murres  the  Kittiwakes  are  probably 
the  most  numerous  birds  011  the  Rock.  Doubtless 
for  the  reason  that  they  select  the  less  accessible 
ledges  where  their  eggs  can  not  be  so  readily  taken, 
their  young  were  more  advanced  than  those  of  any 
other  of  the  birds  breeding  here.  Their  nests,  rather 
bulky  structures  of  seaweed,  which  often  projected 
well  over  the  edge  of  the  ledge  on  which  they  were 
built,  contained  only  young  with  their  parents,  one 
or  two  birds  constituting  a  brood.91 

Kittiwakes  were  never  observed  perching  on  the 
upper  ledges  or  rim  of  the  Rock  in  the  situations 
commonly  selected  by  Murres,  Razorbills,  and  Puf- 
fins. The  last-named  species,  in  fact,  was  never  seen 


Entrance  to  Puffin's  burrow. 


resting  far  from  the  top  of  the  Rock,  and  its  nests 
were  placed  in  burrows  excavated  on  the  summit  of 
the  Rock,  at  the  west  end.  Occasionally  advantage 

13 


178  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A   CAMERA 

was  taken  of  an  opening  beneath  a  ledge,  but  gen- 
erally the  bird  excavated  a  hole,92  about  four  inches 
in  diameter  and  three  or  four  feet  in  length,  at  the 
end  of  which  we  found  the  nest  of  grasses  and  feath- 


Puffin's  nest  and  egg  at  the  end  of  excavated  burrow. 


ers,  with  its  single  elliptical  white  egg93  and  sitting 
bird,  or  a  sooty,  down-covered  nestling.94 

Woe  to  the  unsuspecting  person  who  thrusts  his 
hand  into  the  jaw,  one  might  say,  of  an  incubating 
Puffin.  Nature  has  not  only  provided  the  bird  with 
an  uncommonly  powerful  and  efficient  pair  of  man- 
dibles, but  also  with  a  disposition  which  prompts  it 
to  use  them  to  the  best  advantage.  Never  have  I 
seen  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  bird  so  diabolically 
vicious  as  a  Puffin.  An  individual  which  we  cap- 
tured alive  and  attempted  to  study  in  our  work- 
room, proved  altogether  too  fierce  a  creature  to  have 


BIRD   ROCK 


179 


about,  and  its  hoarse  voice — half  grunt,  half  groan 
— added  to  its  unattractiveness. 

In  Nature,  however,  their  trim  appearance  was 
very  pleasing ;  Paroquets,  the  French-Canadians  call 
them,  and  one  has  only  to  see  the  bird  in  life  to  ap- 
preciate the  applicability  of  the  name.  It  is  not 
alone  their  looks  but  also  their  actions  which  suggest 
the  Parrot.  Unlike  the  Murres  and  Razorbills,  they 
do  not  rest  on  the  whole  foot,  but  stand  quite  erect 
on  the  toes  alone,  and 
run  about  with  the 
characteristic  pattering 
steps  of  Parrots.  When 
the  wind  blew  fresh 
from  the  sea  they  often 
faced  it,  hovering  a 
foot  or  two  above  the 
rocks  on  outstretched, 
motionless  wings,  and 
retaining  for  several 
seconds  this  perfect  bal- 
ance between  gravity 
and  air  pressure. 

It  is  quite  possible 
that  I  may  have  wholly 
misjudged  the  Puffin's 
character,  and  that 
when  unmolested  their 
nature  is  peaceable  in 
extreme.  At  any  rate, 

they  seem  to  be  not  only  on  excellent  terms  with 
their  own  kind,  but  with  the  very  distantly  re- 
lated Leach's  Petrels,  with  which  they  sometimes 


94.   Young  Puffin  on  nest  at  the  end 
of  burrow. 


180 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


shared  their  underground  homes,  one  bird's  nest 
being  at  the  end  of  the  burrow,  the  other  about  half 
way  to  the  entrance.  The  Petrels  also  occupied 
burrows  of  their  own,  which,  judging  from  the 
actions  of  the  birds  found  in  them,  they  had  exca- 
vated by  the  aid  of  their  toes.95 

The  Petrel's  nests  were  composed  of  fine  grasses 
and  a  few  feathers,  and  one  nest  contained  two  bits 
of  white  birch  bark,  the  presence  of  which  raised 
the  question  as  to  whether  these  gleaners  of  the  sea 
do  not  gather  suitable  nesting  material  when  they 
find  it  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Two  of 


95.  Leach's  Petrel  on  nest  at  end  of  excavated  burrow. 

the  eight  or  ten  Petrels'  nests  examined  contained  a 
single  white  egg ;  one  egg  constituting  a  full  set 
with  this  species,  as  with  all  the  other  rock-nesting 
birds,  except  the  Kittiwake.  The  remaining  nests 


BIRD  ROCK 


181 


were  each  occupied  by  a  newly  hatched  young  bird 

a  gray  ball  of  down,  so  unlike  anything  in  feathers 

I  had  ever  seen  that,  if  it  had  not  been  for  their 

tiny,  young  chick- 

enlike     peep,      I 

should   have    been 

inclined  to  pass  it 

by  as  a  wad  of  gray 

cotton.96     Never 

more  than  one   of 

the    parent    birds, 

either  the  male  or 

female,  was  found 

on  the  nest,  nor  was 

a  single  Petrel  seen 

about       the        Rock    96-  Y°ung  Leach's  Petrel  removed  from  bur- 

during  the  day.  row  with  nesting  DiatcriaL 

The  Puffins  and  Petrels  are  now  the  only  birds 
nesting  on  the  summit  of  the  Rock,  not  a  single  de- 
scendant of  the  one  hundred  thousand  Gannets  which, 
according  to  Bryant,  occupied  the  top  of  the  Rock 
in  1860  now  being  found  there.  To-day  this  species 
nests  only  on  the  less  accessible  border  ledges  on 
the  face  of  the  Rock,  where  they  are  grouped  in 
colonies.  Most  of  them  were  incubating,  but  sev- 
eral were  brooding  their  young,  which  ranged  in 
size  from  the  naked,  black- skinned,  newly  hatched 
chick  to  those  that  had  acquired  the  white,  swan's- 
downlike  first  plumage.97 

With  the  exception  of  two  white,  black- spotted 
birds,  all  the  Gannets  seen,  both  on  Bird  Rock  and 
Bonaventure,  were  in  the  adult  white  plumage,  and 
if,  as  has  been  stated,  this  plumage  is  not  gained 


182 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 


until  the  bird  is  two  years  old,  the  question  arises, 
What  becomes  of  the  immature  birds  during  the 
nesting  season  ? 


97.  Young  Gannet. 

An  estimate  of  the  number  of  individuals  repre- 
senting the  seven  species  just  mentioned  as  nesting 
on  the  Rock,  is  perhaps  not  warranted  by  my  brief 
experience,  nor  should  I  attempt  to  give  one,  did  not 
my  photographs  permit  me  to  count  with  a  fair  de- 
gree of  accuracy  the  number  of  birds  in  view  on  that 
part  of  the  Rock  shown  in  these  pictures.  Time 
was  lacking  to  make,  from  a  boat,  a  series  of  photo- 
graphs of  the  Rock  which  would  include  all  its 
bird-inhabited  portions,  and  the  appended  estimates 
are  based  on  the  results  of  a  count  of  the  birds  in 
photographs  of  about  one  half  the  occupied  area. 
Murres,  Razorbills,  and  Puffins  can  not  be  distin- 


BIRD  ROCK 


183 


guished  in  these  pictures  and  are  therefore  grouped 
under  one  head,  it  being  calculated  that  about  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  individuals  of  these 
species  make  the  Rock  their  home.  Of  this  number 
probably  not  more  than  one  hundred  are  Puffins, 
while  the  Common  and  Briinnich's  Murres  ( Uria 
troile  et  U.  lomvia)  outnumber  the  Razorbills  at 
least  four  to  one. 

The  Kittiwake  population  of  the  Rock  probably 
numbers  between  six  hundred  and  eight  hundred 


98.   Gannets.     x  3.     An  enlarged  detail  of  No.  99. 

birds ;  of  Gannets,  there  are  perhaps  left  only  fifteen 
hundred  of  the  more  than  one  hundred  thousand 


184  BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A  CAMERA 

birds  which  Dr.  Bryant  writes  of  as  living  on  the 
top  of  the  Rock  alone ;  and  of  Petrels,  not  more  than 
fifty. 

When  on  the  Rock  I  should  have  said  that  it 
was  tenanted  by  at  least  ten  thousand  birds,  and  I 
was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  that  the  evidence 
furnished  by  my  photographic  records  gave  a  total 
of  about  four  thousand  birds.  However,  the  sight 
of  four  thousand  birds  domiciled  in  one  small  islet 
is  sufficiently  impressive  to  increase  the  pulse  beat 
of  the  most  phlegmatic  traveler;  and  even  if  this 
estimate  be  too  large,  the  Rock's  merits  as  a  bird 
resort  are  too  substantial  to  be  affected  by  any 
decrease  in  it  which  truth  demands. 

To  return  to  an  account  of  the  day's  doings,  the 
light,  as  has  been  said,  was  unfavorable  for  photog- 
raphy, and  the  time  was  devoted  to  collecting  and 
preparing  specimens  and  making  a  hurried  survey 
of  the  bird  rookeries  on  the  Rock,  with  results 
briefly  set  forth  above ;  but  late  in  the  afternoon 
the  sun  gave  indications  of  its  whereabouts  behind 
the  clouds,  and  I  immediately  substituted  the  cam- 
era for  the  scalpel,  and  had  Keeper  Bourque  lower 
me  in  the  crate  in  order  that  I  might  secure  photo- 
graphs of  the  birds  observed  on  our  ascent. 

Neither  the  stability  of  the  crate  nor  its  constant 
turning  were  conditions  which  a  photographer 
would  choose,  and,  without  the  twin-lens  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  secure  pictures  of  the  Kitti- 
wakes85  and  Murres,  who  in  a  surprised  but  un- 
alarmed  manner  regarded  me  from  their  nests  on 
the  Rock,  in  some  instances  at  a  distance  of  not 
more  than  six  feet. 


BIRD  ROCK  185 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night  I  visited  the  west  end  of 
the  Rock  to  see  and  hear  the  Petrels  that  nest  there. 
The  casual  visitor  to  Bird  Rock  would  be  quite 
unaware  of  the  presence  of  these  birds ;  indeed,  one 
might  live  there  for  years  without  knowing  that 
Petrels  made  it  their  home.  As  far  as  the  Rock  is 
concerned,  the  birds  are  strictly  nocturnal;  but  as 
usually  only  one  bird — either  male  or  female — is 
found  on  the  nest,  it  is  supposed  that  its  mate  is  at 
sea  feeding.  If  this  supposition  be  true,  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  the  entire  absence  of  the  birds 
during  the  daytime.  Why  should  they  not  return 
to  their  nests  before  nightfall  ?  And  if,  as  stated, 
the  sea  bird  takes  the  place  of  the  nest  bird,  does 
the  latter  always  feed  at  night  and  the  former  by 
day,  or  do  they  sometimes  change  about,  thus  mak- 
ing the  same  individual  both  nocturnal  and  diurnal 
in  habit  ? 

However  this  may  be,  I  had  no  sooner  reached 
the  part  of  the  Rock  tenanted  by  the  Petrels  than  I 
was  given  the  most  surprising  evidence  of  their 
activity  during  the  night.  From  the  ground  at  my 
feet  and  on  every  side  there  issued  the  uncanny 
little  song— if  I  may  so  call  it — of  birds  doubtless 
sitting  at  the  mouths  of  their  burrows.  It  was  not 
like  the  cry  of  a  sea  bird,  but  a  distinctly  enunciated 
call  of  eight  notes,  possessing  a  character  wholly  its 
own,  and  not  to  be  compared  to  the  notes  of  any 
bird  I  have  ever  heard,  though  at  the  time  it 
impressed  me  as  having  a  certain  crowing  quality. 
Such  a  call  might  be  uttered  by  elves  or  brownies. 
Occasionally  I  saw  a  blur  of  wings  as  a  bird  passed 
between  me  and  the  lighthouse. 


186 


BIRD  STUDIES   WITH   A   CAMERA 


Later,  the  fog,  which  had  been  scudding  over  us 
in  wisps  and  ribbons,  closed  in,  and  through  the 
medium  of  a  guncotton  bomb  the  Rock  gave  notice 


99.   Gannets  on  nests. 


of  its  presence  to  the  mariners  who  might  be  in  the 
surrounding  waters.  Captain  Taker  heard  the  dull, 
booming  voice  as  with  disappointing  promptness  he 


BIRD  ROCK 


187 


came  to  take  us  from  the  Rock,  and  early  in  the 
morning  we  heard  his  fog  horn  from  the  gray  bank 
below  telling  where  the  Sea  Gem,  as  yet  unseen,  was 
anchored. 

In  the  hope  of  better  weather  I  deferred  photo- 
graphing the  Gaunets,  the  only  accessible  colony  of 
which  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  Rock ;  but  forced 
now  to  make  the  best  of  the  existing  conditions, 
I  took  the  twin-lens,  fastened  one  end  of  a  rope 
about  my  waist,  and  gave  the  other  end  to  Captain 
Bourque,  in  order  that,  unhampered  by  thought  of 
fall,  I  might  creep  along  the  slippery  ledges  where 
the  birds  nested." 

The  fog  had  lifted,  but  the  d  \y  was  gloomy,  and 
only  the  white  plumage  of  the  birds  and  a  wide-open 
lens  yielded  successful  photographs. 

It  was  my  first  visit  to  the  big  white  birds,  who, 
in  spite  of  persecution,  have  as  yet  acquired  but  little 
fear  of  man,  and  as  with  hoarse  croaks  and  a  dash- 
ing of  wings  they  pitched  onto  the  narrow  ledges 
near  me,  their  size  and  boldness,  in  connection  with 
my  somewhat  insecure  footing,  aroused  in  me  a  feel- 
ing which  I  had  not  experienced  when  surrounded 
by  the  smaller  Murres,  Auks,  and  Puffins.  The 
main  nesting  ledge  was  out  of  reach  below,  but 
small  groups  of  birds  were  nearer,  and  these  I  pho- 
tographed at  a  distance  of  about  ten  feet.100 

These  Gannets  are  magnificent  birds,  and  when 
on  the  wing  exhibit  a  combination  of  power  and 
grace  excelled  by  no  other  bird  I  have  seen.  They 
are  most  impressive  when  diving,  as  with  half-closed 
wings,  like  great  spearheads,  they  descend  from  a 
height  of  about  forty  feet  with  a  force  and  speed 


BIRD  ROCK  189 

that  takes  them  wholly  out  of  sight,  and  splashes  the 
water  ten  feet  or  more  into  the  air.  Cory  graphi- 
cally compares  the  sight  of  a  distant  flock  of  Gannets 
diving  at  a  school  of  fish,  to  a  continuous  stream  of 
beans  poured  from  a  pail. 

Captain  Bourque  tells  me  that  Gannets  are  no 
longer  used  for  bait  by  the  codfishers ;  but  when  one 
realizes  that  only  two  colonies  of  these  grand  birds, 
comprising  a  few  thousand  individuals,  are  all  that 
are  left  of  the  species  in  this  hemisphere,  one  could 
wish  for  these  survivors  something  more  than  nega- 
tive protection. 

In  the  afternoon  the  weather  gave  promise  of 
clearing,  and  entering  the  crate  we  were  swung  out 
over  the  edge  of  the  Rock  on  the  first  stage  of  our 
homeward  journey.  The  collections  and  outfit  were 
placed  aboard  the  schooner,  while  in  a  dory  we 
attempted  to  visit  Little  Bird ;  but  before  we  had 
rowed  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  fog  crept  back,  Great 
Bird  slowly  disappeared  from  view  and  became  only 
a  periodic  boom  in  the  gray  wall,  and  we  returned 
to  the  schooner  without  delay. 

The  sail  to  Bryon,  where  we  passed  the  night,  ap- 
parently demonstrated  Captain  Taker's  possession  of 
the  sense  of  direction.  In  spite  of  a  head  wind, 
violent  squalls,  and  a  strong  tide,  he  made  his  way 
through  the  fog  with  perfect  assurance  and  dropped 
anchor  at  a  particular  lobster  buoy,  visible  less  than 
fifty  yards  from  the  schooner,  but  which  in  effect  he 
appeared  to  have  seen  before  we  left  the  Rock.  It 
was  a  remarkable  bit  of  seamanship. 

In  Bird  Rock  the  Canadian  Government  possesses 
an  object  of  surpassing  interest,  one  which,  south  of 


190  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH   A  CAMERA 

Greenland,  is  unique  in  eastern  North  America.  It 
is  the  obvious  duty  of  the  proper  authorities  to  pre- 
serve it,  and  the  ease  with  which  this  can  be  done 
makes  further  neglect  inexcusable.  The  appoint- 
ment of  the  light  keeper  as  a  game  warden  is  the 
only  step  required  to  make  Bird  Rock  a  safe  retreat 
for  sea  fowl,  until,  in  some  future  geologic  age,  it 
shall  have  yielded  to  the  relentless  attack  of  the 
waters. 


LIFE  ON  PELICAN  ISLAND,  WITH  SOME  SPECULA- 
TIONS ON  THE  ORIGIN  OF  BIRD  MIGRATION 

E  study  of  isolated  colonies  of 
birds,  particularly  of  those  situ- 
ated on  islands,  throws  much  light 
on  several  as  yet  little-understood 
problems  of  bird  migration. 

With  mainland  birds  of  general 
distribution — the  Robin,  for  exam- 
ple— the  individual  is,  except  when  nesting,  lost  in 
the  species,  and  unless  the  bird  be  peculiarly 
marked  who  can  say  whether  the  Robins  which 
nest  with  us  one  year  are  the  same  as  those  of 
the  preceding  season— where  our  summer  Robins 
winter,  or  our  winter  Robins  summer  ?  and  who  can 
tell  whether  the  first  Robins  to  come  in  the  spring 
are  our  summer  resident  birds,  or  early  migrants 
en  route  to  more  northern  nesting  grounds  ? 

In  the  case  of  certain  island-inhabiting  birds, 
however,  some  of  these  questions  may  be  answered 
with  a  fair  degree  of  certainty.  Thus  Ipswich  Spar- 
rows are  known  to  nest  only  on  Sable  Island,  off  the 
Nova  Scotia  coast,  and  we  are  warranted  in  believ- 
ing that  the  same  birds,  fate  permitting,  return  to 
their  sandy  home  year  after  year.  Gannets  (Sula 
bassand)  nest  in  the  western  hemisphere  only  on 
three  islets  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  it  is 

191 


192  BIRD   STUDIES   WITH  A  CAMERA 

probable  that  the  surviving  individuals  return  each 
year  to  their  former  breeding  grounds.  The  Terns 
of  Muskeget  and  Penikese,  forming  the  only  two 
large  colonies  of  these  birds  remaining  on  the  At- 
lantic coast,  return  to  their  island  retreats  every 
spring ;  and  actuated  by  this  same  love  of  home,  the 
Brown  Pelicans  of  the  Indian  River  region  of  east- 
ern Florida  annually  repair  to  a  certain  small  island 
for  the  purpose  of  rearing  their  young.  Many  simi- 
lar cases  might  be  cited  in  confirmation  of  the  belief 
— supported  also  by  isolated  observations  on  the 
mainland — that  birds  nest  in  the  same  locality 
throughout  their  lives,  and,  on  occasion,  may  even 
occupy  their  previous  season's  nest. 

As  regards  the  manner  in  which  these  island- 
inhabiting  birds  arrive  at  the  nesting  grounds,  as 
far  as  our  recorded  information  goes,  it  seems  that 
without  relation  to  latitude  they  appear  each  spring 
with  remarkable  regularity,  not  straggling  back  a 
few  at  a  time,  but  sending  on  an  advance  guard, 
which  usually  remains  only  a  short  time  and  is  fol- 
lowed, a  few  days  later,  by  apparently  the  entire 
colony. 

Thus,  Mackay  writes  of  the  Terns  of  Penikese : 
"  In  1893  the  Terns  arrived  on  May  10th,  in  the  night, 
an  advance  guard  of  several  hundred  being  noted 
early  the  following  morning  at  daylight ;  these  all 
left  before  noon  of  the  llth,  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  12th,  before  daylight,  immense  numbers  had 
again  arrived.  ...  In  1896  the  Terns  commenced  to 
arrive  during  the  night-  of  May  9th ;  they  were  in 
evidence  at  daylight  on  the  10th,  and  continued  to 
arrive  all  day,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  llth  the 


PELICAN  ISLAND  193 

usual  colony  had  taken  possession  of  the  island." 
(Auk,  xiv,  1897,  p.  284.) 

The  migration  of  the  island-nesting  Terns  in  the 
tropics  is  apparently  no  less  regular.  Scott  states 
that  the  Noddy  arrived  in  the  Tortugas  "  on  April 
20th  in  large  numbers,  but  remained  only  two  days ; 
after  inspecting  their  breeding  grounds,  all  departed 
to  return  about  a  week  later  in  greatly  increased 
numbers,  when  breeding  was  almost  at  once  com- 
menced." (Auk,  vii,  1890,  p.  306.) 

These  insular  colonies,  however,  not  only  throw 
much  light  on  certain  existing  phases  of  bird  migra- 
tion, but  they  also  furnish  us  with  a  clew  to  the 
origin  of  migration  itself.  This  is  especially  true  of 
those  species  whose  lives  are  passed  in  the  tropics 
or  subtropics,  and  which  we  are  accustomed  to  class 
as  nonmigratory  or  as  "permanent  residents,"  but 
which  are  as  regularly  migratory,  in  the  real  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  as  if  they  summered  within  the 
arctic  circle  and  wintered  south  of  the  equator. 

Their  movements  are  apparently  in  no  way  in- 
fluenced by  climate  nor,  at  this  season,  are  they 
governed  by  the  food  supply,  but  prompted  solely 
by  the  annually  recurring  physiological  change 
which  fits  both  sexes  for  reproduction,  they  repair 
to  a  certain  islet,  perhaps  in  the  heart  of  their  range, 
with  the  one  object  of  finding  a  suitable  nesting  site 
in  which  their  eggs  may  be  laid  and  young  reared  in 
safety ;  and  this  object  accomplished,  they  desert  the 
locality,  where  they  may  be  unknown  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring. 

Divested,  therefore,  of  the  complications  which 
ensue  when  in  studying  the  migration  of  birds  the 
14 


194:  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

questions  of  food  and  climate  must  be  considered, 
we  have  here  the  problem  reduced  to  its  simplest 
terms;  and  in  the  desire  for  seclusion  during  the 
breeding  season  which  induces  birds  to  conceal  their 
nests,  if  possible  perhaps  near  by,  but  if  necessary 
after  a  journey  of  varying  length  undertaken  espe- 
cially for  the  purpose,  we  have  a  good  and  sufficient 
cause  for  the  origin  of  bird  migration. 

An  attempt  to  explain  the  present  manifestation 
of  the  migratory  movement  involves  a  study  of  the 
climatic  changes  to  which  our  globe  has  been  sub- 
jected. No  doubt  many  birds  controlled  by  "he- 
redity of  habit"  make  semiannual  journeys  which 
at  one  time  were  necessary,  but  under  existing  cir- 
cumstances are  no  longer  required.  Why,  for  ex- 
ample, should  the  Bobolink  winter  south  of  the 
Amazon,  while  its  ally,  the  Red-winged  Blackbird 
(Agelaius  phczniceus),  does  not  leave  the  eastern 
United  States  ?  I  have,  however,  no  intention  of 
writing  an  essay  on  bird  migration,  and  these 
thoughts  are  presented  merely  as  preliminary  to  a 
study  of  the  life  of  Pelican  Island,  of  a  visit  to 
which  they  are  in  part  the  outcome. 

Pelican  Island  is  situated  midway  between  the 
northern  and  southern  extremities  of  Indian  River, 
near  the  eastern  shore  of  a  key  which  here  makes 
the  river  about  three  miles  wide.  It  is  triangular 
in  shape  and  contains  about  three  acres  of  ground, 
on  which  grow  a  few  black  mangroves,  a  cabbage 
palm  or  two,  and  great  patches  of  grass;  but  at 
least  one  fourth  of  its  surface  is  bare  ground. 

On  one  of  the  islands  of  the  near-by  Narrows  a 
few  pairs  of  Brown  Pelicans  are  said  to  have  nested, 


PELICAN   ISLAND  195 

but,  with  this  exception,  Pelican  Island  doubtless 
forms  the  nesting  ground  of  all  the  Pelicans  of  In- 
dian River. 

The  question  why  the  birds  should  select  this 
particular  island  in  preference  to  the  scores  of 
others  which,  to  the  human  eye,  appear  to  be 
equally  well  suited  to  their  needs,  is  a  difficult  one 
to  answer.  Perhaps  110  true  selection  is  shown  by 
the  existing  birds,  which,  as  with  many  other  island- 
inhabiting  species,  may  be  the  survivors  of  a  once 
more  widely  distributed  species,  who  have  been  pre- 
served by  the  protection  afforded  by  their  island 
home.  Such  a  colony  might  owe  its  beginning  to  a 
pair  of  birds  who  were  the  true  selectors  of  the  site 
of  the  future  colony.  The  preserving  influences  of 
the  situation  were  potent  from  the  beginning.  The 
first  brood  reached  maturity  without  mishap,  and 
in  response  to  the  instinct  which  prompts  a  bird  to 
return  to  the  region  of  its  birth,  they,  with  succes- 
sive generations,  came  back  and  eventually  estab- 
lished the  prevailing  conditions. 

The  attachment  of  these  Pelicans  for  their  home 
affords  a  remarkable  illustration  of  the  power  of 
habit.  Ever  since  the  Indian  River  region  has  been 
subject  to  annual  invasion  by  tourists,  among  whom 
the  man  with  the  gun  is  conspicuous  both  by  num- 
bers and  actions,  the  inhabitants  of  Pelican  Island 
have  been  wantonly  and,  on  occasions,  brutally  per- 
secuted. Scarcely  a  day  passes  during  February 
and  March  that  one  or  more  boat  loads  of  tourists, 
perhaps  from  the  mainland  or  a  passing  yacht,  do 
not  land  on  Pelican  Island  and  thoughtlessly  cause 
the  death  of  many  young  birds  by  driving  them 


196  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

from  the  vicinity  of  their  nests ;  or,  by  frightening 
the  brooding  birds,  they  expose  the  newly  hatched 
and  naked  nestlings  to  the  roasting  rays  of  the  sun. 
The  harm  caused  by  these  visitors,  however,  is  not 
to  be  compared  to  that  wrought  by  so-called 
"  sportsmen/'  who,  in  defiance  of  every  law  of  man- 
hood, have  gone  to  Pelican  Island  and  killed  thou- 
sands of  the  birds  simply  because  they  afforded  a 
ready  mark  for  their  guns.  They  had  not  even  the 
excuse  of  a  demand  upon  their  skill,  and  must 
indeed  have  been  very  near  the  level  of  the  brute 
to  have  found  pleasure  in  killing  birds  which  the 
merest  novice  with  a  gun  would  find  it  difficult  to 
miss. 

Perhaps  even  worse  than  this  exhibition  of  pure 
savagery  are  the  raids  of  the  self-styled  "  oologists," 
who,  in  the  name  of  science — save  the  mark ! — have 
journeyed  to  Pelican  Island  with  the  express  pur- 
pose of  taking  every  egg  they  could  lay  their  insa- 
tiable fingers  upon,  afterward  to  boast,  in  some 
journal  devoted  to  reporting  similar  crimes,  of  the 
hundreds  they  had  collected  in  so  many  hours. 

So  persistently  have  the  Pelicans  been  molested 
that  at  times  they  have  been  forced  to  desert  their 
beloved  island;  but  they  have  exhibited  their  at- 
tachment for  it  by  establishing  themselves  on  the 
nearest  available  islet,  and  on  the  first  opportunity 
have  returned  to  their  native  land. 

It  was  in  March,  1898,  that  my  best  assistant  and 
I  boarded  the  little  sloop  which  was  to  take  us  to 
Pelican  Island.  Fortunately  the  birds  were  now  in 
possession  of  their  ancestral  domain,  and,  as  we 
approached,  files  of  Pelicans  were  seen  returning 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


197 


from  fishing  expeditions,  platoons  were  resting  on 
the  sandy  points,  some  were  bathing,  others  sailing 
in  broad  circles  high  overhead.  Soon  we  could  hear 
the  sound  of  many  voices — a  medley  of  strange  cries 


101.  Pelicans  on  ground  nests. 

in  an  unknown  tongue.  Arriving  and  departing  on 
wings,  the  inhabitants  of  Pelican  Island  have  little 
need  of  deep  water  harbors,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
anchor  our  sloop  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
island  and  go  ashore  in  a  small  boat. 

No  traveler  ever  entered  the  gates  of  a  foreign 
city  with  greater  expectancy  than  I  felt  as  I  stepped 
from  my  boat  on  the  muddy  edge  of  this  City  of 
the  Pelicans.  The  old  birds,  without  a  word  of  pro- 
test, deserted  their  homes,  leaving  their  eggs  and 
young  at  my  mercy.  But  the  young  were  as  abu- 
sive and  threatening  as  their  parents  were  silent  and 


198 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


unresisting.  Some  were  on  the  ground,  others  in 
the  bushy  mangroves,  some  were  coming  from  the 
egg,  others  were  learning  to  fly ;  but  one  and  all — 
in  a  chorus  of  croaks,  barks,  and  screams,  which 
rings  in  my  ears  whenever  I  think  of  the  experience 
— united  in  demanding  that  I  leave  the  town.  If  I 
approached  too  near,  their  cries  were  doubled  in 
violence  and  accompanied  by  vicious  lunges  with 
their  bills,  which  were  snapped  together  with  a 
pistol-like  report.102  As  I  walked  from  tree  to  tree, 
examining  the  noisy  young  birds  that  were  climb- 
ing about  the  branches,  I  seemed  to  be  passing  from 


102.   Interviewing  a  group  of  young  Pelicans. 

cage  to  cage  in  a  zoological  garden ;  and  as  I  en- 
tered that  part  of  the  island  where  the  nests  were 
on  the  ground,101  every  bird  that  could  walk  left 
its  home,  and  soon  I  was  driving  a  great  flock  of 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


199 


young  Pelicans,  all  screaming  at  the  tops  of  their 
voices. 

The  old  birds,  in  the  meantime,  were  resting  on 
the  water.     They  might  have  been  unpleasant  foes, 


103.  Among  the  Pelicans. 

but  in  their  stately,  dignified  way  they  accepted  the 
situation,  and  waited  in  silence  for  us  to  retire. 
Then  they  at  once  returned  to  their  nests,  and  in  a 
short  time  comparative  quiet  was  restored  on  the 
island. 

This  is  a  sketch  of  life  in  the  Pelicans'  metrop- 
olis as  one  sees  it  during  a  brief  visit,  and  all  the 
accounts  of  the  island  I  have  seen  were  based  on 
just  such  an  experience.  Consequently,  I  shall 
relate  here  what  was  learned  of  the  Pelicans  and 
their  home  during  four  days  passed  with  them. 


200 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


During  no  hour  of  the  twenty-four  did  silence 
reign  on  Pelican  Island ;  if  I  went  on  deck  at  mid- 


104.  Head  and  poucli  of  Brown  Pelican. 


night,  the  notes  of  some  complaining  or  pugna- 
cious young  Pelicans,  who  in  their  sleep  had 
come  into  too  close  quarters,  were  sure  to  be 
heard.  But  the  Pelicans'  day  began  at  early  dawn, 
when  I  could  distinguish  the  diagonal  files  of 
from  two  to  a  dozen  birds  solemnly  and  silently 
starting  out  for  the  fishing  grounds.  One  might 
think  that,  like  a  boat's  crew,  their  strokes  were 
controlled  by  a  coxswain,  as  in  perfect  unison 
they  all  flapped  their  broad  wings  for  about  ten 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


201 


beats,  and  then  spread  them  and  sailed  for  as  many 
seconds. 

Generally  they  headed  for  the  ocean,  there  to 
follow  the  line  of  the  beach,  sometimes  high  in  the 
air,  at  others  low  over  the  curling  surf,  as  their 
progress  was  aided  or  retarded  by  the  wind.  How 
far  they  went  I  can  not  say,  but  at  a  point  ten  miles 
north  of  Pelican  Island 
many  have  been  seen  still 
winging  their  way  to  the 
northward,  doubtless  to 
some  point  where  fish 
were  abundant.  Not 
once  during  the  four 
days  passed  off  Pelican 
Island  did  I  see  a  Peli- 
can fishing  over  the  sur- 
rounding waters.  It  was 
not  because  they  were 
lacking  in  fish,  for  they 
contained  a  plentiful  sup- 
ply of  food  ;  and  I  could 
explain  the  unexpected 
abstinence  of  the  birds 
only  on  the  supposition 
that  the  fish  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  the 
nesting  ground  were  left 
for  the  early  efforts  of  the 
young  birds  before  they  were  strong  enough  of  wing 
to  accompany  their  parents  to  distant  fishing  grounds. 

Brown  Pelicans  fish  at  a  height  of  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet  above  the  water,  not  hovering,  but 


105.  Same  as  No.  104,  seen  from 
above,  to  show  extent  to  which 
sides  of  the  lower  bill  are  spread. 


202  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

flying  slowly  about,  and  without  a  moment's  pause 
plunging  on  their  prey  with  a  force  which  would 
produce  serious  results  if  the  bird's  breast  were  not 
well  padded  with  cellular  tissue  between  the  skin 
and  the  flesh. 

I  observed  that  when  the  young  birds  struck  at 
me  the  movement  was  accompanied  by  a  widening 
or  bowing  out  of  the  sides  of  the  lower  mandible, 
and  it  is  doubtless  the  same  muscular  effort  which 
turns  the  pouch  of  the  diving  Pelican  into  a  scoop 
net,  as  it  were,  with  an  elliptical  ring.105 

By  sunrise  most  of  the  fishers  appeared  to  have 
departed,  and  at  this  time,  whether  because  of  the 
absence  of  so  many  of  the  adults  or  because  it  was 
their  breakfast  hour,  a  swarm  of  Fish  Crows  came 
from  the  mainland,  apparently  from  both  sides  of 
the  river,  seeking  what  they  might  devour  in  the 
way  of  eggs  or  young  Pelicans,  and  departing  after 
several  hours'  feasting. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  fishers  began  to  appear, 
coming,  as  they  went,  in  dignified  lines,  which  broke 
up  as  they  reached  the  island,  each  bird  going  to  its 
young.  Then  the  outcry  began,  and  the  ensuing  two 
hours  were  the  noisiest  of  the  day. 

Pelicans  are  so  well  able  to  supply  the  wants  of 
their  families  that,  unlike  smaller  birds  who  bring 
to  their  ever-hungry  broods  only  a  mouthful  at  a 
time,  they  are  not  forced  to  feed  their  young  at  short 
intervals  throughout  the  day,  but  the  morning  meal 
concluded,  they  do  not  again  have  to  provide  for 
their  nestlings  until  afternoon.  Immediately  after 
breakfast,  therefore,  the  parent  birds  went  out 
into  the  bay  to  bathe,  and  the  flapping  of  their 


PELICAN  ISLAND  203 

wings  as  they  dashed  the  water  over  themselves 
could  be  heard  at  a  great  distance.  The  bath 
concluded,  the  birds  gathered  in  rows  on  the  sand 
bars  jutting  out  from  the  island,  to  vigorously 
preen  their  feathers,  and  doze  in  the  sun ;  and  then, 
at  irregular  intervals,  bird  after  bird,  prompted  ap- 
parently purely  by  a  love  of  exercise,  or  tempted 
by  a  possible  resulting  exhilaration,  mounted 
slowly  into  the  air  until  they  had  attained  a  great 
height,  when,  spreading  their  wings,  they  sailed 
majestically  about  on  broad  circles  for  hours  at 
a  time.  I  was  at  first  inclined  to  connect  this 
habit  with  the  season  of  courtship,  but  observing 
several  birds  of  the  year,  who  had  but  recently 
learned  to  fly,  join  their  elders,  I  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  habit  had  no  sexual  significance, 
and  was  indulged  in  solely  because  the  birds  en- 
joyed it. 

In  the  afternoon  the  fishing  parties  again  started 
out,  and  after  the  resulting  catch  had  been  delivered 
to  the  clamoring  young,  the  Pelican's  day's  work 
was  concluded,  and  he  betook  himself  to  his  favor- 
ite roost  for  the  night.  At  dark  a  few  Cormorants 
returned  to  the  branches  of  a  dead  tree,  a  single 
Frigate,  after  carefully  and  repeatedly  reconnoiter- 
ing  the  situation,  decided  to  take  lodgings  on  a 
neighboring  stub,  and  a  Pelican  Island  day  was 
ended. 

Whether,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Terns  and  Gannets 
previously  mentioned,  the  Pelicans  all  return  to 
their  island  on  a  certain  day  I  can  not  say.  Proba- 
bly, however,  the  short  duration  of  their  migratory 
journey,  and  the  fact  that  they  come  from  both  the 


204  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

north  and  the  south,  prevents  them  from  joining 
many  other  birds  en  route.  However,  apparently 
most  of  the  birds  are  warned  at  nearly  the  same 
time  by  a  physiological  change  that  the  season  has 
come  for  them  to  return  to  their  nesting  grounds. 
This  is  evidently  in  January,  since  in  March  a  large 
number  of  the  young  on  the  island  were  found 
almost  ready  to  fly,  while  some,  as  has  been  said, 
were  already  on  the  wing.  There  was,  it  is  true,  a 
great  variation  in  the  development  of  the  young 
found,  and  indeed  the  birds  were  still  laying,  but  I 
believe  that  the  parents  of  these  later  broods  had 
been  robbed  of  their  eggs  by  tourists. 

A  careful  count  yielded  a  total  of  845  nests, 
which  had  evidently  been  built  during  the  season, 
but  only  251  of  them  were  occupied.  Most  of  the 
vacant  nests  were  on  the  ground,  and  had  been 
deserted  by  their  tenants,  who  were  now  running 
about  the  island. 

The  251  occupied  nests  contained  eggs  or  young, 
as  follows : 

55  nests  with  1  egg  each ; 

63    "          "     2  eggs    " 

23     "          "     3     "       " 

63    "          "     1  young  each ; 

46     "          "     2      " 
1  nest       "     3      " 

Incubation  was  found  to  be  well  advanced  in 
eggs  which  were  alone  in  their  nest,  showing  either 
that  one  egg  sometimes  composes  the  set,  or  that  the 
other  eggs  of  the  set  had  been  destroyed.  The  fact 
that  one  nest  was  found  with  three  young  while 
twenty -three  were  found  each  containing  three  eggs, 


PELICAN  ISLAND  205 

would  indicate  a  high  mortality  among  the  young 
birds ;  and,  indeed,  no  less  than  94  dead  young  were 
counted.  Most  of  these,  however,  were  birds  which 
were  old  enough  to  leave  the  nest,  and  death  was 
doubtless  due  to  the  thoughtlessness  of  tourist  vis- 
itors, who  chase  the  young  about  until  they  fall 
from  exhaustion,  or  are  driven  too  far  to  find  their 
way  home. 

Estimating  the  number  of  young  birds  which 
had  left  the  594  deserted  nests  at  891— which  would 
be  an  average  of  one  and  a  half  birds  to  the  nest — 
and  adding  two  parent  birds  to  each  nest,  we  have 
2,581  birds  on  wing  and  on  foot.  But  this  number  is 
to  be  increased  by  the  152  young  that  were  still  in 
their  nests,  making  the  probable  total  population  of 
Pelican  Island  2,736.  This  calculation,  however, 
does  not  take  into  account  the  eggs,  from  which 
almost  hourly  came  new  inhabitants  of  the  island ; 
and  it  is  with  these  eggs,  or  rather  with  the  nest  in 
which  they  are  placed,  that  we  may  begin  a  brief 
outline  of  the  young  Pelican's  development. 

The  Pelican,  although  a  low  type  of  bird,  is 
altricial,  the  young,  unlike  the  offspring  of  Gulls, 
Ducks,  or  Snipe,  being  hatched  in  a  helpless  condi- 
tion. The  nest,  therefore,  is  not  only  an  incubator 
where  with  heat  from  the  parent  bird  the  eggs  are 
hatched,  but  it  is  a  cradle  for  the  young.  Conse- 
quently, Pelicans'  nests  are  unusually  complicated 
structures  as  compared  with  the  dwellings  of  other 
birds  equally  low  in  the  evolutionary  scale. 

There  was  a  very  interesting  and  constant  rela- 
tion between  the  character  of  the  nest  and  its  site, 
ground  nests  being  composed  largely  or  entirely  of 


206 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


long  grasses,  while  those  nests  which  were  placed  in 
the  trees  were  made  of  sticks  and  were  lined  with 


100.  Newly  hatched  Pelic 


Ground  nest. 


grasses,  the  nest  proper  being  erected  on  a  platform 
of  larger  sticks  laid  from  crotch  to  crotch  in  the 
bushes  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  a  broad,  firm 
foundation,  though,  structurally,  it  was  not  a  part 
of  the  nest,  which  could  be  lifted  without  removing 
the  platform. 

The  difference  between  the  nests  of  straw106  and 
th'ose  of  sticks  107  were  so  marked  that  it  seems  prob- 
able their  makers  regularly  selected  sites  on  the 


PELICAN  ISLAND  207 

ground  or  in  the  trees  respectively  Or,  assuming 
that  the  same  individuals  might  build  a  stick  nest 
in  the  bushes  one  year  and  a  straw  nest  on  the 
ground  the  next,  we  have  an  unusual  variation  in 
the  character  of  the  nest  of  the  same  species.  In 
the  case  of  the  Fish  Hawks  of  Plumb  Island  the 
birds  evinced  an  appreciation  of  the  protection 
afforded  them  by  the  owner  of  the  island  by  often 
placing  their  nests  on  the  ground.  Photographs 
of  these  nests,  however,  made  by  Dr.  C.  S.  Allen, 
show  that  the  birds  employed  as  much  material 
when  nesting  on  the  ground  as  when  nesting  in 
trees,  the  eggs  on  the  ground  being  surrounded  by 
a  useless  mass  of  large  sticks.  Certain  of  the 
birds,  therefore,  in  response  to  new  conditions,  had 
chosen  new  nesting  sites,  but  had  not  as  yet  made 
corresponding  changes  in  the  character  of  their 
nests. 

When  the  nest  is  completed,  as  we  have  seen, 
from  one  to  three  eggs  are  laid.  The  period  of  incu- 
bation is  probably  about  four  weeks,  and  a  careful 
listener  may  detect  the  presence  of  a  hatching  egg 
by  the  choking  bark  which  the  young  Pelican  begins 
to  utter  as  soon  as  he  has  made  an  opening  in  the 
shell  which  holds  him.  When  he  has  finally  freed 
himself  and  appears  in  the  world,  he  is  about  as 
unattractive  a  bit  of  bird  life  as  can  well  be  con- 
ceived.106 His  dark,  purple  skin  is  perfectly  naked, 
he  is  blind,  and  when  he  is  deprived  of  shade  pro- 
vided by  the  brooding  parent,  he  twists  restlessly 
..about  in  the  nest,  uttering  the  same  choking  bark 
with  which  he  first  greeted  the  light. 

Even  at  this  early  age  he  displays  one  of  the 


208 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


strong  characteristics  of  the  immature  Pelican — a 
pugnacious  disposition.  Almost  before  his  eyes  are 
open  he  bites  at  his  nest  mates  for  apparently  no 
other  reason  than  that  they  come  within  reach  of 


107.  Young  Telican  in  tree  nest,  showing  first  appearance  of  white  down. 

his  bill.  Soon  his  eyes  open  and  within  a  few  days 
a  wonderful  change  begins  to  take  place  in  his 
appearance.107  Little  bunches  of  white  down  sprout 
all  over  his  body,  and,  growing  rapidly,  transform 
the  ugly,  purple-black  nestling  into  a  snowy  creature 
clad  in  softest  down. 

At  the  same  time  he  has  been  growing  much 
stronger ;  he  is  able  to  sit  up,108  his  fighting  abilities 
have  greatly  increased,  and  his  voice,  after  passing 
through  a  rasping  k-r-r-r-ing  stage,  has  become  a 
high,  piercing  cry  very  closely  resembling  the  scream 
of  a  child  in  extreme  pain.  Young  Pelicans  utter- 
ing this  call  chiefly  made  up  the  chorus  one  could 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


209 


hear  all  day  and  at  intervals  during  the  night  on 
Pelican  Island. 

Pelicans  of  the  same  nest  never  seem  to  recover 
from  the  mutual  enmity  with  which  they  begin  life. 
Quarreling  is  the  normal  condition  of  affairs  among 
the  children  of  a  Pelican  family,  and  as  they  always 
scream  loudest  when  fighting,  one  cause  for  the  con- 
tinuous uproar  is  evident.  Another  is  the  question 
of  food,  and  just  at  this  point  I  may  pause  a  moment 


108.  Young  Pelican,  downy  stage. 

to  describe  the  manner  in  which  the  young  Pelicans 
are  fed. 

So  far  as  I  know,  Pelicans  live  wholly  on  fish, 
15 


210  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMEEA 

and  the  difference  between  the  fare  of  a  young  Peli- 
can and  that  of  its  parent  is  in  the  size  of  its  finny 
food.  I  have  seen  fish  twelve  inches  long  in  the 
throat  of  an  old  Pelican,  while  the  pouch  of  a  very 
young  bird  contained  several  fishes  less  than  an 
inch  in  length. 

It  is  plain  to  be  seen,  therefore,  that  when  an  old 
Pelican  goes  fishing  for  his  family  he  must  keep 
constantly  in  mind  the  size  of  his  offspring  and 
bring  home  little  fish  for  little  birds,  larger  fish  for 
larger  ones. 

Immediately  after  the  parent  returns  from  its 
fishing  expedition,  the  young  cluster  about  it  and 
the  outcry  begins.  But  the  old  one  takes  it  very 
patiently,  sitting  quite  still  until  ready  to  open  its 
creel,  as  it  were.  Then  he  takes  a  stand  if  possible 
a  little  above  the  young,  drops  his  lower  bill  with  its 
pouch,  when  at  once  the  young  thrust  in  their  heads 
to  secure  their  morning's  catch.  On  one  occasion  I 
saw  three  half-grown  Pelicans  with  their  heads  and 
necks  entirely  out  of  sight  in  the  parent's  pouch, 
and  all  were  prodding  about  so  vigorously  that  one 
would  have  thought  it  would  be  damaged  past 
mending. 

Having  been  fed,  one  might  suppose  that  for  a 
time  peace  would  reign  in  the  Pelican  household ; 
but,  after  emptying  their  parent's  pouch,  the  young 
immediately  begin  to  squabble  over  the  contents  of 
their  own.  Here  is  real  cause  for  war,  and  they 
grasp  each  other  by  the  bill  and  twist  and  turn  like 
athletes  in  a  test  of  strength,  seldom,  however,  with 
serious  results. 

Returning  to  our  sketch  of  the  young  Pelican's 


PELICAN  ISLAND 


211 


growth :  shortly  after  the  acquisition  of  the  white 
down,  the  wing  feathers  begin  to  grow.  As  yet 
the  sprouting  feathers  are  useless,  but  with  them 
come  strength  and  courage  to  leave  the  nest  and  to 
clamber  about  in  search  of  the  foes  who  perhaps 
have  been  mocking  him  for  days,  from  their  nest  on 


10U.    Young  Pelican,  wing  quills   appearing. 

an  adjoining  limb.  In  spite  of  his  broadly  webbed 
toes,  he  manages  to  climb  about  in  the  bushes  with 
more  or  less  ease  ;109  but  in  this  climbing  he  is 
greatly  aided  by  his  bill.  Indeed,  if  it  were  not 
for  the  safety  hook  made  by  the  bill,  head,  and 
neck,  many  a  young  Pelican  would  have  a  prema- 


212 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


ture  tumble.  As  it  is,  this  hook  is  often  the  only 
thing  that  saves  him  if  he  chances  to  lose  his  foot- 
ing ;  catching  by  the  bill  and  neck  he  hangs  for  a 


110.  Young  Pelicans,  stage  preceding  flight. 

moment,  and  then,  like  a  gymnast,  hauls  himself  up 
by  the  aid  of  his  toes. 

If  the  young  Pelican's  home  is  on  the  ground,  at 
this  age  he  waddles  about  playing  by  himself  or 
fighting  all  comers.  He  dabbles  in  the  shallow 
water,  filling  his  pouch  with  mud  and  water,  bits  of 


PELICAN  ISLAND  213 

sticks,  shells,  and  weeds  ;  then  dropping  the  point  of 
his  bill  downward  so  that  the  mud  and  water  ooze 
out,  he  carefully  examines  the  remainder,  piece  by 
piece,  as  if  to  see  whether  it  is  palatable.  Even 
when  alone  he  sometimes  loses  his  temper.  I  saw 
one  evidently  much  annoyed  by  the  appearance  of  a 
displaced  feather  in  his  wing,  and  in  a  vain  effort  to 
catch  it  he  whirled  about  like  a  kitten  chasing  its 
own  tail. 

But  the  fast-growing  wing  plumes  soon  seem  to 
be  a  source  of  inspiration,  rather  than  of  annoyance. 
The  young  Pelicans  feel  a  new  and  strange  power 
coming  to  them,  and  they  stand  in  the  nest  and  aim- 
lessly wave  their  now  nearly  grown  wings,  until 
some  day  an  impulse  prompts  them  to  spring  into 
the  air.110  The  immediate  result  is  a  humiliating 
tumble,  for  Pelicans,  unlike  smaller  birds,  must 
learn  to  fly.  Once  on  the  ground  he  has  a  safer 
place  to  practice,  and  with  a  hop,  skip,  and  a  flap, 
he  makes  brave  efforts  to  mount  skyward.  Finally 
he  succeeds,  and  the  awkward  nestling  becomes  a 
creature  of  power  and  grace,  sailing  away  on  broad 
pinions  to  join  its  elders. 

With  this  wonderful  gift  of  flight  comes  a  com- 
plete change  in  the  Pelican's  character  and  behavior. 
From  a  noisy,  quarrelsome  fledgeling,  whose  days 
were  passed  in  screaming  and  squabbling,  he  is 
transformed  into  a  dignified,  patriarchal-like  bird 
so  absolutely  voiceless  that  I  have  never  heard  a 
wild  Pelican  utter  a  sound,  nor  do  I  know  of  any 
one  who  has ;  while  in  disposition  he  has  become  so 
peaceful  that  under  the  strongest  provocation  he 
shows  no  desire  to  protest. 


214  BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 

Just  what  has  influenced  him — who  can  say  ?  It 
is  one  of  Nature's  mysteries.  But  let  us  hope  that 
the  same  charm  may  be  exerted  on  every  noisy, 
quarrelsome  creature. 


INDEX 


Audubon,  J.  J.,  155. 
Auk,    Razorbilled.   on    Bird    Eock, 
167,169;  tameness  of,  170  ;  nest- 
ing of,  176  ;  young  of,  176. 
The,  154. 

Bayberries,  26. 

Bird-Lore,  9. 

Bird  photography,  definition  of,  1 ; 
scientific  value  of,  1,  34 :  charm 
of,  3,  39 ;  outfit  for,  6 ;  methods 


Bird  Eock,  130,  150, 152. 

Birds,  adult,  photographing,  33. 
Young,  photographing,  32 ;  return 
of,  to  nesting  ground,  192. 

Bittern,  American,  29,  70. 

Least,  haunts  of,  62  ;  mode  of  pro- 
gression of,  62  ;  notes  of,  63,  72 ; 
nest  of,  65  ;  protective  mimickry 
of,  67  ;  courage  of,  68  ;  eggs  of, 
destroyed  by  Marsh  Wren,  72; 
intelligence  of,  75  ;  eating  eggs, 
75. 

Blackbird,   Red-winged,  26,  69,  70, 
94, 194. 

Blinds,  23. 

Bobolink,  95, 100, 194. 

Bonaventure   Island,   130,   138,  139, 
141. 

Bourque,  Captain  Peter,  164. 

Brewster,  William,  63, 103, 133, 160. 

Bryant,  Dr.  Henry,  159. 

Bryon  Island,  152, 162. 

Bulb,  21,  22. 


Canadian  Government,  189. 

Cartier,  Jacques,  154. 

Cape  Breton,  152. 

Catbird,  37. 

Cat-tails,  90. 

Camera,  uses  of,  1-4 ;  kinds  of,  6. 
Hand,  8  ;  Kearton's,  7  ;  long-focus, 
7  ;   reflecting,  8  ;   twin-lens,  8 ; 
snap-shot,  8  ;  dummy,  35 ;  tri- 
umph of,  171. 

Cameras  used  in  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, 133. 

Cannon,  160. 

Chickadee,  tameness  of,  47  ;  in  Cen- 
tral Park,  48 ;  photographing, 
49 ;  alighting  on  hand,  51 ;  nest- 
ing of,  52  ;  habits  of,  when  nest- 
ing, 53-55  ;  young  of,  57-61. 

Chuck-will's-widow,  146. 

Civilization,  effects  of,  on  wild  life, 
128. 

Clamp,  ball-and-socket,  22,  24,  29. 

Cliff  photography,  25. 

Climbers,  24. 

Codfishing,  136. 

Cormorants,  Double-crested,  132. 

Corncrake,  146. 

Cornel,  142. 

Crane,  85. 

Crow,  65. 

Dalhousie,  146. 
Dark-cloth,  24. 
Deer,  25. 
Dogwood,  26. 

215 


216 


BIRD   STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


Enlargements,  photographic,  7,  12, 
13. 

Finch,  Pine,  137. 
Finders,  8. 
Flash-light,  25. 
Flicker,  14. 
Food,  photographing,  26. 

Galapagos,  129. 

Gallinule,  Florida,  63,  69-71. 

Gannets,  on  Bonaventure,  139,  143- 
145 ;  destruction  of,  by  Cartier, 
154;  described  by  Audubon, 
157  ;  killed  for  bait,  158 ;  num- 
ber of,  159 ;  decrease  of,  160  ;  on 
Bird  Eock,  171,  181-183  ;  photo- 
graphing, 187 ;  fearlessness  of, 
187 :  manner  of  feeding,  187. 

Grand  Entry,  147. 

Grebe,  Pied-billed,  69,  70. 

Gregory,  J.  U.,  163. 

Grosse  Isle,  147. 

Guillemots,  149. 

Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  Bird  Eocks  of, 
128,  129. 

Gull,  Black-backed,  147. 
Herring,    on    Perce"    Rock,    134; 
feeding  in   fields,    136  ;  nesting 
on  clifl's,  137  ;  note  of,  137. 

Hackensack  marshes,  value  of,  89 ; 
beauty  of,  89  ;  geological  history 
of,  89 ;  flowers  of,  90,  92 ;  ani- 
mal life  of,  93. 

Haunts,  photographing,  26. 

Hawk,  Marsh,  29-31,  92. 

Hen,  Heath,  109. 
Moor,  70. 
Water,  70. 

Heron,  Great  Blue,  killing  of,  85; 
wildness  of,  86 ;  rookeries  of,  86 ; 
nests  of,  87. 

Night,  rookery  of,  76;  call  of, 
77;  protection  of,  77;  nests  of, 
78;  food  of,  78;  limy  deposits 
of,  killing  vegetation,  78 ;  young 


of,  79 ;  death  of  young  of,  81 ; 

feeding  by  parents,  81 ;  fall  from 

nest,  81. 

Home  photography,  40. 
Howe,  R.  H.,  Jr.,  123. 

Iconoscope,  8. 

Inaccessible  Island,  129. 

Iris,  142. 

Islands,  preserving  influences  of,  108, 

128. 

Jay,  Blue,  42. 
J  unco,  42, 137. 

Kearton  brothers,  7,  23,  25. 

Kerguelen  Island,  129. 

Kittiwake,  on  Perce  Eock,  133 ;  call- 
ing, 172;  on  Bird  Rock,  177; 
nests  and  young  of,  177 ;  number 
of,  on  Bird  Rock,  183. 

Lantern  slides,  7. 
Laysan  Island,  129. 
Lens,  the,  10. 

Tests,  14-19. 
Little  Bird  Rock,  153. 
Loon,  70. 
Lucas,  F.  A.,  154. 

Mackay,  George  H.,  123, 192. 

Magdalen  Islands,  130,  146. 

Marsh  Birds,  notes  of,  70. 
Mallow,  92,  93. 
Mystery  of,  70. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  29,  38. 

Massachusetts:  Boston,  42;  Cam- 
bridge, 63;  Martha's  Vineyard, 
109;  Muskeget,  109;  Penikese, 
108,  122-127;  Weepeckets,  109; 
Wood's  Holl,  109. 

Maynard,  C.  J.,  160. 

McKinlay.  James,  146. 

Migration,  27 :  speculations  on  origin 
of,  191-195. 

Mirror,  24. 

Mount  St.  Anne,  137. 


INDEX 


217 


Murre,  Briinnich's,  169 ;  number  of, 

on  Bird  Kock,  183. 
Common,    169 ;    number    of,    on 

Bird  Kock,  183. 
Ringed,  174. 
Eggs   and    young    of,    destroyed, 

160,161;  onBryon,162;  on  Bird 

Kock,   167;    tameness    of,  170; 

eggs    of,    174,   175 ;    young    of, 

175;  number  of,  on  Bird  Kock, 

182. 

Nests  and  Eggs,  photographing,  28. 

New  Jersey  :  Englewood,  52;  Hack- 
ensack  Marshes,  89. 

New  York:  Central  Park,  48 ;  Cayuga 
County,  65,  69,  86 ;  Great  Gull 
Island,  108  ;  Long  Island,  107. 

Nuthatch,  42. 

Oologists,  65. 

Owl,  use  of,  in  photographing  birds, 

37. 

Barred,  46. 

Screech,  photographing1,  44;  calls 
of,  44,  45 ;  food  of,  45 ;  manner 
of  feeding  of,  45 ;  young  of,  45. 
Short-eared,  49. 

Pelican,  Brown,  146;  returning  to 
Pelican  Island,  192,  195;  perse- 
cution of,  195,  196  ;  daily  habits 
of,  197-199,  202;  pugnacity  and 
calls  of  young  of,  198, 190;  flight 
of,  200 ;  manner  of  fishing  of, 
201 ;  pouch  of,  201 ;  number  of, 
on  Pelican  Island,  204,  205; 
nesting  of,  205-207;  develop- 
ment and  habits  of  young  of, 
207-213  ;  feeding  of,  210  ;  voice- 
lessness  of  adult  of,  213. 
Island,  191-214. 

Pennsylvania  :  Presque  Isle,  64. 

Perec,  isolation  of,  130;  charm  of, 

135. 

Rock,  130;  size  of,  132;  birds  of, 
132, 133,  135. 


Petrel,  Leach's,  on  Bird  Rock,  179 ; 

nesting  of,  180;  young  of,  181 ; 

call  of,  185 ;  habits  of,  at  night, 

185. 

Pictou,  146. 

Plates,  photographic,  22. 
Puffins,    on    Bryon,    162;    on  Bird 

Rock,  169,    170;    nesting,    177; 

ferocity  of,  178 ;  appearance  of, 

179 ;  number  of,  on  Bird  Rock, 

182. 

Raven,  137. 

Rail,  Clapper,  70. 
Sora,  95,  100. 

Razorbills,  on  Bird  Rock,  167,  169 ; 
tameness  of,  170;  nesting  of, 
176  ;  young  of,  176  ;  number  of, 
on  Bird  Rock,  183. 

Red  Cedar,  26. 

Reedbird,  26,  95. 

Robin,  22,  191. 

Rowley,  John,  9. 

Sable  Island,  191 

Screen  for  nest  photography,  31. 

Seasons,  photographing,  27. 

Shelbourne,  W.  E.,  149, 173. 

Shiras,  G.  A.,  25. 

Shutter,  curtain,   9 ;  focal-plane,  9, 

20  ;  iris,  19  ;  unicum,  15,  20. 
Snow,  photographing  after,  41. 
Sparrow,  Fox,  149. 

House,  photographing,  40,  43 ; 
notes  of,  41 ;  intelligence  of,  40, 
43. 

Ipswich,  191. 

Savanna,  137. 

Swamp,  95, 100. 

White-throated,  137, 142. 
Swallow,  Bank,  96. 

Barn,  96. 

Eave,  96. 

Rough-winged,  96. 

Tree,  nesting  site  of,  29  ;  range  of, 
96  ;  in  Hackcnsack  marshes,  96  ; 
roosting  habits  of,  96  ;  evening 


218 


BIRD  STUDIES  WITH  A  CAMERA 


and  morning  flights  of,  97-101 ; 
bathing  in  trees,  101 ;  exhibiting 
procreative  and  nesting  habits 
prematurely,  103  ;  migration  of, 
104. 

Tabor,  E.  G.,  65. 

Taker,  Captain  Hubbard,  151,  163, 
186, 189. 

Telephoto,  12, 17. 

Tern,  Arctic,  111. 
Common,  109 ;  nesting  of,  110, 
112;  action  of  colony  of,  111; 
notes  of,  111,  117;  bravery  of, 
111  ;  young  of,  112-114,  118, 
122, 125  ;  returning  to  nest,  115 ; 
photographing,  116,  117;  hear- 
ing of,  120  ;  on  sheep,  123. 
Koseate,  on  Weepeckets,  109, 
110 ;  note  of,  111 ;  on  Penikese, 
123. 

Terns,  uses  of,  106 ;  grace  and  beauty 
of,  106 ;  destruction  of,  107 ;  on 


islands,  108 ;  protection  of,  108, 

127. 

Thrush,  Wood,  39. 
Towhee,  38. 

Tree  trunk,  artificial,  23,  36. 
Tripod,  22,  28. 
Tubing,  22. 
Twin-flower,  142. 

Vireo,  Red-eyed,  39. 

White-eyed,  39. 

Yellow-throated,  39. 
Virginia  :  Cobb's  Island,  107. 

Warbler,  Blue-winged,  38. 

Chestnut-sided,  38. 
Wild  cherry,  26. 
Wild  rice,  92,  94. 
Winter,  feeding  birds  in,  42. 
Woodcock,  26. 
Woodpecker,  Downy,  42. 
Wren,  Long-billed    Marsh,  69,  72, 
94. 


(1) 


THE    END 


By  F.  SCHUYLER  MATHEWS. 
Familiar  Flowers  of  Field  and  Garden. 

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to  the  water  supply,  the  evils  of  wholesale  cutting,  and  the  prac- 
tical value  of  judicious  selection.  He  places  before  the  reader, 
in  his  sketch  of  forest  distribution,  a  most  interesting  picture  of 
American  woodlands,  which  emphasizes  the  importance  of  a 
source  not  only  of  wealth,  but  of  safety,  much  neglected  in  past 
years. 

Aside  from  the  value  of  this  book  to  special  students  and  to 
those  interested  in  the  forests  for  economic  reasons,  the  work  is 
full  of  suggestions  to  owners  of  country  homes  and  to  all  who 
care  for  nature. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


BOOKS  BY  JOHN  ML  COULTER,  A.M.,  Ph.D. 

Head  of  Department  of  Botany,  University  of  Chicago. 


Plant   Relations.      A  First  Book  of   Botany.     i2mo. 
Cloth,  $1.10. 

"Plant  Relations"  is  the  first  part  of  the  botanical  section  of  Biology, 
and,  as  its  title  indicates,  treats  what  might  be  termed  the  human  interests 
of  plant  life,  the  conditions  under  which  plants  grow,  their  means  of  adapta- 
tion to  environments,  how  they  protect  themselves  from  enemies  of  various 
kinds  in  their  struggle  for  existence,  their  habits  individually  and  in  family 
groups,  and  their  relations  to  other  forms  of  life— all  of  which  constitute  the 
economic  and  sociological  phases  of  plant  study. 

Plant  Structures.     A  Second  Book  of  Botany,     izmo. 

Cloth,  $1.20. 

This  volume  treats  of  the  structural  and  morphological  features  of  plant 
life  and  plant  growth.  It  is  intended  to  follow  "  Plant  Relations,"  by  the 
same  author,  but  may  precede  this  book,  and  either  may  be  used  independ- 
ently for  a  half-year's  work  in  botanical  study.  "  Plant  Structures"  is  not 
intended  for  a  laboratory  guide,  but  a  book  for  study  in  connection  with 
laboratory  work. 

Plant  Studies,     An  Elementary  Botany.     i2mo.    Cloth, 
$1.25. 

This  book  is  designed  for  those  schools  in  which  there  is  not  a  sufficient 
allotment  of  time  to  permit  the  development  of  plant  Ecology  and  Morphol- 
ogy as  outlined  in  "  Plant  Relations  "  and  "  Plant  Structures,"  and  yet  which 
are  desirous  of  imparting  instruction  from  both  points  of  view. 

Plants.     A  Text-Book  of  Botany.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $i. 80. 

Many  of  the  high  schools  as  well  as  the  smaller  colleges  and  seminaries 
that  devote  one  year  to  botanical  work  prefer  a  single  volume  covering  the 
complete  course  of  study.  For  their  convenience,  therefore,  "  Plant  Rela- 
tions "  and  "  Plant  Structures  "  have  been  bound  together  in  one  book,  under 
the  title  of  "  Plants." 

An  Analytical  Key  to  some  of  the  Common  Wild 
and  Cultivated  Species  of  Flowering  Plants. 

i2mo.     Limp  cloth,  25  cents. 

An  analytical  key  and  guide  to  the  common  flora  of  the  Northern  and 
Eastern  States,  as  its  title  indicates.  May  be  used  with  any  text-book  of 
botany. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


University  of  California 

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